


White and Gold

by AnonymousJayster



Category: RWBY
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Fairy Tale, Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Industrial Revolution, Anti-Faunus Racism (RWBY), Cross-Posted on FanFiction.Net, Cuddling & Snuggling, F/F, Fluff, Freezerburn - Freeform, Freezerburn Week 2018, Future Fic, In which I try not to kill Pyrrha by accident again, Light Angst, M/M, Minor Pyrruby, Minor Sea Monkeys, Nudity, One Shot Collection, Partial Nudity, Romance, Soulmate-Identifying Marks
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-13
Updated: 2018-12-18
Packaged: 2019-05-06 01:44:24
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 16
Words: 22,876
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14631468
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AnonymousJayster/pseuds/AnonymousJayster
Summary: My one-shots/prompts for Freezerburn Week and such.





	1. Soulmate!AU (May 2018)

**Author's Note:**

> RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth, of which I am not a part of.

**Happy Freezerburn Week 2018, everyone!**

**May 13th: Soulmate AU**

* * *

 

_There is NO way it's her._

Yang shook her head as she left the changing room in her pajamas, her golden locks flowing out behind her as she walked back to the main hall. Ever since she'd gotten the Schnee Dust Company's snowflake on her wrist as her soulmate mark, she was frustrated that the universe had decided to link her fate to the most stuck-up family on Remnant. She'd hoped beyond reason that _maybe_ her soulmate would be the nicest member of their family, but if the others were even half as mean as this Weiss chick, she was screwed regardless.

The blonde walked out into the enormous ballroom, finding her younger sister scribbling something out in her notepad. She was able to pick out a few words: _Exhausting, crazy, exciting…_

… _JERK…_

 _That has to be about Weiss. And I'd have to agree_.

After what could only have been the worst first impression in history, the white-haired young lady had taken every measure to pick on Ruby, and anyone who picked on Ruby was automatically an enemy of Yang. She gritted her teeth.

_All because she accidently knocked over her luggage? What an absolute, self-absorbed little brat-_

"Uh, Yang, what's wrong?"

"Huh? Whaddaya mean, Rubes?"

"I mean… you seem to be strangling your pillow."

The brawler looked down at her hands and, sure enough, she was practically pulling apart her poor feathery headrest at the seams.

She dropped the pillow back on her sleeping bag, surprised at her sudden rage. Part of her wondered how hard she would snap at the princess if she saw her again that night.

_Ugh. Hopefully, I don't have to for a long, LONG time._

Deciding to change the subject on her mind before she started fuming again, Yang looked over at her sister. "So, did you figure out who your soulmate is yet?"

"No, not yet." The red-haired girl looked down at her wrist, rubbing the small symbol on it slowly. A circle pierced by an arrow; neither of them could figure out who it could be for, though it certainly hadn't been any of her friends from her old school, as they'd all checked and none had a symbol with any sort of rose on theirs.

Who knows, maybe her sister's soulmate was sleeping in the exact same room.

Ruby let out a long sigh before dropping her pencil. "I'm gonna go get some water. Be right back." Getting up, she padded off towards the entrance. Halfway there, she tripped over someone's backpack and landed smack on the floor before being helped up by a kind red-haired girl with a ponytail and a golden tiara.

Yang rolled over onto her back, stomach still turning. Adjusting herself again, she caught sight of a shine of blue.

Weiss was sitting, hugging her knees, only a few spots away from the sisters' bedrolls. The girl had her hair down and was adorned by a simple blue nightgown.

The brawler rolled her eyes at her luck, though was surprised to notice the smaller girl look at her own wrist and back up a few times, with an amusing amount of shock on her face that the blonde secretly hoped would make her go away.

Then it hit her.

Weiss was looking at HER OWN SOULMATE MARK.

_Is it- It can't, but- I mean-_

Suddenly, Yang's heart sped up. She'd been prepared to deal with any combat situation and she'd had her fair share of romantic expeditions in the past, but the idea of meeting her soulmate after almost ripping apart a pillow because of her thoughts of them became deeply concerning.

The only thing that was relaxing about this was that Weiss looked FAR more terrified than she felt.

As the blonde calmed down, she realized that she was starting to get up. Hesitating, her brain quickly ran through how to approach the snow-haired girl. If she got up too quickly or deliberately, she might scare her off, but if she got up too slowly, it might cause Weiss to get suspicious of her intentions and make things even harder to hit off.

_You sure you're not just overthinking this?_

Working her confidence back into her mind, she stood fully up and started stretching, deliberately avoiding focusing on anything in particular. After a minute or so, feeling that the other girl had had time to calm down sufficiently, she turned her way and bent down to her toes, purposefully giving her likely soulmate a full view of her cleavage squeezed in her orange tank-top.

After holding the position for a few seconds, she looked up innocently.

Weiss sat there, staring for a few more seconds before noticing her lilac eyes. Her own blue orbs flew open and she turned her head in a completely different direction with as much subtlety as a Beowulf crashing through a wedding.

A smirk worked its way across Yang's face. _Glad to see that trick still works._

Padding over before the heiress could realize, she sat down cross-legged in front of her. "Hey. Noticed you were staring."

She didn't think it was possible for someone to have a complexion deeper red than Ruby's cloak, but lo and behold.

"Hey, don't worry about it. It's fine." She let out a chuckle, moving her hand forward to try and take one of the white strands in her hand. "I'm not the only beautiful one here, if you know what I, uh…"

The white-haired girl reeled back from her hand with barely concealed terror.

Any lingering ire dissipated as it sunk in how little she actually knew about the girl. Her normal approach of being upfront and forward always let her take control of the situation, but here, an over-the-top, make-'em-blush-madly approach obviously wasn't going to work when dealing with this girl on such an important and fragile subject like soulmates.

_Then let's try a different approach._

Yang brought her arms back over her chest, hiding the view subtly to keep the other girl from getting too flustered. Carefully choosing her next words, she decided to ease her way in without jumping the gun. "So, are you enjoying Beacon so far?"

Weiss kept looking down between her knees, clear mortification written across her face and not daring to move or even breathe. Cursing her luck silently, Yang waited, moving her body into a far more relaxed position to try and convey that she wasn't going to do anything else sneaky. Finally, the princess slowly unraveled herself, looking up with an extremely nervous expression. "Uh, well, I'm… not really having a great first day."

"Yeah, neither is my sister." The blonde smirked. "Some crabby girl yelled at her because she accidentally tripped over her luggage."

The other girl retreated into herself once again, which instantly worried the brawler, but then she spoke up. "That's not-! I… I mean, she ended up blowing a hole in the cliff! That should be enough to show how dangerous it was!"

"Maybe that was because of the crabby girl yelling at her and throwing dust around." The blonde suggested, sticking out her tongue.

Carefully, Yang started shifting her hand towards the heiress's own.

The stubborn blue glare was held for a few more seconds before it fell away. "I- fine, I guess I… I was a little bit too harsh."

Weiss let out a cute little squeak, looking down as her hand was taken gently by the larger girl.

"Hey, don't worry too much. Everyone messes up; like I said before, you guys just need to start off on the right foot." Yang gave off a bright smile as the heiress looked back up. "You just need to have... sympathy, I guess. Or was it empathy?" Her lilac eyes looked off for a second before returning to blue. "Which one was empathy, again?"

At that, Weiss let a small smile fall across her lips. "I believe it _is_ empathy. Being able to relate to other's feelings." At that, she flushed, but didn't turn her head away this time, only letting her eyes shift away.

"Say, uh, can I see your soulmate mark?"

…

"Do we really need to check? I KNOW that it's you."

* * *

 

**A bit of Pyrruby as well, because why not? I'd have written Ruby's soulmate as Blake if I knew how to pair Blake with anyone but Weiss :P**


	2. Snow Day (May 2018)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth, of which I am not a part of.

**May 14th: Snow Day**

* * *

 

Weiss trudged through the field of snow, Yang practically tripping over herself as she waded through ahead of her.

"This is ridiculous. I can't believe you're seriously making us have a snowball fight!" The heiress grumbled, though her heart clearly wasn't into her chide. Vale's winters might not be as fierce as the ones in Atlas but at least most pathways were regularly cleared.

"Well, it isn't like we have to be in class right now!" The brawler returned a giant grin. "Come on, Weiss! Don't you live in Atlas? Aren't you used to the cold?"

"Oh, the cold isn't bothering me. It's the fact that you seem to think pelting each other with balls of ice is something along the lines of 'fun'."

All she got in return was Yang sticking out her tongue.

…

"Hey! You're cheating!"

"How so?"

"You're using your semblance to melt the snowballs! That's not fair!"

"Life ain't fair, princess!"

"GAH! YOU-"

"WOAH!"

…

"Don't you think you went a bit overboard?"

"How so?"

"Very funny, Snow Angel. Defending yourself is one thing but freezing someone in a block of ice is another."

Weiss huffed as she snuggled into her girlfriend's chest, the skin unnaturally cold but quickly heating from the larger girl's semblance and the nearby fireplace.

"Well, if you could use your semblance, I can use mine."

"And just _why_ were you carrying a vial of dust with you today?"

Blue shone up at her, mischief dancing within the orbs.

Yang rolled her eyes, though kept her smile. It wasn't like arguing was going to change her stubborn lover's mind and it wasn't like it was a big deal anyway; in fact, if giving up the fight meant having the tiny heiress cuddle with her, any threat of frostbite mattered little to her.

She took in a deep breath, drinking in the minty fragrance of Weiss's shampoo. Her mind fluttered on the fringes of consciousness. Slowly, the brawler fell asleep, awakening only minutes later with an empty lap. Rising up from her lounging chair, she stopped and settled back again when she spotted Weiss returning from the kitchen with two steaming cups in her hand. She could smell the chocolate from across the room.

"Here, something to keep you awake." She allowed one of her rare smiles to pass across her lips as she handed Yang one of the mugs. "Careful, it's hot."

"Blah blah blah, _you're_ hot." Yang teased, bringing the rim up to her lips and chugging the hot cocoa down, to Weiss's surprise and slight disgust. She took in a deep breath as she returned an empty cup. "It was just right."

The heiress simply shook her head. "How did I fall in love with you?"

Weiss threw herself back onto her girlfriend's lap, Yang letting out a hiss as their skin collided and nerves shot the cold feeling to her brain. "What the heck, Princess? I've got my semblance going on full blast; how are you still so cold?"

"I though you said I was hot?"

Yang raised an eyebrow, her frown set in stone.

The smirk on the ice queen's face never faltered, drawing herself in close and bringing her arms around the blonde girl's neck. "How about you help me out, then?"

Yang barely had any time to react as their lips crashed together, the smaller girl quickly taking the lead and cupping her cheek. Despite the initial stun to her still waking mind, the brawler quickly reciprocated, pushing back and drawing her fingers through pale strands while nipping at the other girl's lower lip, elicitng a quiet giggle from the heiress.

Beside them, the fireplace burned brightly, casting long, orange, flickering shapes across the room. As the two broke apart and opened their eyes, they took in everything about the other's form, including the gleam that seemed separate from the reflection of the fire's glow.

There was no other place in the world they'd rather be that day.

* * *

 

**Much shorter than I usually make, but I don't exactly have a ton of time for writing this week. Hope you guys enjoyed nonetheless.**


	3. Studying (May 2018)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth, of which I am not a part of.

**May 15th: Studying**

* * *

"Do I _really_ need to study this hard for this exam?" Yang whined, her face scrunching up as she flopped backwards over her chair. She let out an exaggerated groan, lilac eyes pleading with the upside-down heiress behind her to let her leave already.

"Yes, Yang. I know you're one to usually keep up your studies but you did awful on the last history exam. Now pipe down and start reading; the quicker you finish, the more sleep you can get tonight. And resting is very important for memorization."

The blonde rolled her eyes at the explanation. She didn't want another lecture from the ice queen this late at night. She wanted to play the new fighting game she'd just ordered with Ruby and while she toiled away on this pointless paperwork, her little sister was probably honing her gaming skills.

"Come _on_ , Weiss! I've been studying for this for days now and it won't even be that difficult this time." She pressed herself hard against the back of her chair as she turned herself towards their bunks where Weiss was sitting, shifting her eyes to her partner. "Blake, help me out here."

The Faunus girl raised her eyes from her book at her name. She glanced over at the ice queen for a moment before returning to her story.

"See?"

" _Traitor._ "

She received a fierce glare from the raven-haired girl but nothing more.

"Don't call her that."

"Weiss, _please_! This test is gonna be so easy, I-"

Suddenly, a terrific idea worked its way to the forefront of her mind. She let a massive smile split across her face before thrusting out a finger at her white-haired teammate.

"I BET you that I could get a higher score than you will, even if I stopped studying right now!"

Just as her lips parted to refuse the offer and order the blonde to get back to work, Weiss stopped herself. Academics WAS one of her greatest skills. If Yang seriously thought this test was going to be a breeze, she could ACE it without even trying.

"Fine. I accept your challenge." She threw out her hand to the brawler, which she gladly shook.

"If I win, I get to play video games in the room for the next month and you aren't allowed to stop me. AND I get two months of complaint-free puns."

" _When_ I win, you have to do all of our laundry for the next month. AND you can't make any puns for the next two months."

"Deal!"

One final handshake cemented the bet. Yang practically vaulted over her chair and ran through the door, slamming it behind her.

As Weiss walked back to her bed, Blake eyed her once more. "Did you seriously just bet your retaliation rights against Yang 'The Punniest' Xiao Long?"

"What, you _really_ think she'll get a better score than me?"

The Faunus girl let out a small chuckle. "Probably not. But this _is_ Yang we're talking about. Aren't you even a little worried?"

"Don't you have _smut_ to be reading?"

And with that, Blake shoved her face back into her novel without another word.

* * *

Weiss couldn't remember the last time she'd been woken up by the sun. Her sleep schedule had been quite punctual since she'd come to Beacon, so the lack of blaring alarm suddenly set her on edge.

She dared a look at her alarm clock.

9:30 am.

Half an hour after the exam had ended.

" **YAAAAAAANG!"**

When she finally made it to the classroom, Professor Oobleck simply raised an eyebrow and informed her that, due to her tardiness, her exam grade would be dropped by one letter grade after she retook it. This, combined with her stress and rage at her blonde teammate distracting her, meant that her exam came back to her a week later with a grade of B-.

Yang, of course, managed to salvage a B.

"Hey Weiss, I don't _C_ what you're so upset about. You should _B_ happy that you didn't get _A_ worse grade!"

Weiss continued to ignore her presence, working through her own laundry before tossing it onto her bed. The lack of response bothered Yang, but she wasn't about to show it.

Then _she'd_ be the one who lost.

"Don't you think your _sharp_ attitude right now is a bit _pointless_?"

Again, no reaction. The heiress laid out her skirts on her bed, her back turned fully to the brawler as she sat in her upper bunk.

"You know, when most people lose a bet, the _average_ response is to deal with it and not be _mean_."

As soon as Yang finished her sentence, Weiss dropped the shirt she was working on folding onto her mattress. For a second, silence plagued the room before the heiress walked up to her desk, grabbed her books and left the dorm room quietly.

Ruby frowned. "Yang, don't you think you went a little too far?"

"Oh, please. I'm just getting started, sis."

"No, I mean about the bet. You know how seriously Weiss takes her grades."

The blonde threw an exasperated look at her little sister. "You're saying that that's _my_ fault? _She's_ the one who accepted the bet."

"That doesn't make it alright to turn off her alarm and then tease her about it."

Yang fell back onto her pillow, hands behind her head. "She's just being her typical ice queen self, Rubbles. Eventually, it'll blow over and she'll probably go back to trying to make me over-study as usual."

The leader looked over at their other teammate. "Blake, help me out here."

Amber raised to meet silver before the brunette shrugged. "Hey, I'm staying out of this one."

The red-haired girl let out a frustrated groan before falling face down on her mattress. After a few seconds, she looked up at her elder sister. "At least go after her, Yang. If she really is being ridiculous, you should at least talk with her before you keep tormenting her."

"Geez, alright! I'll talk to her. Yeesh, you guys always give HER plenty of leeway but with me, I gotta be the perfect big sis, huh?" The brawler pushed herself off her bed with a thud and walked out into the hallway, heading towards the most likely place the heiress had gone.

* * *

"You done sulking yet, Weiss?"

No answer. Her teammate finished scribbling down what she was writing and dropped her pencil. For a second, she closed her eyes, as though she was preparing to say something as she seemed to mouth silent words before picking up her book and putting it between their fields of view.

Yang rubbed her temples. Of course this had to happen. Dealing with Weiss normally was a massive pain but dealing with her when she was being a sore loser was ten times worse and that, quite frankly, was the only thing she regretted at the moment.

"Look, Weiss. If you just tell me what's going through that pretty little head of yours, I'll dial back on my attitude and try to figure out a way to make it up to you. Heck, I'll even offer to cut the 'free puns' rule down to one month; how does that sound?"

A second passed and Weiss lowered her book just enough for her blue eyes to peer over it.

Staring daggers at someone might be an expression but Yang would be lying if the glare hadn't sent a shiver down her spine.

Weiss dropped the textbook down on the library table with a quiet smack, revealing her pursed lips to complete her scowl. A second later, she threw her hands down on the table and lifted herself up, her arms moving her lean body forward across the table towards the blonde, who was honestly starting to sweat. Just a little bit.

"I don't care about your _puns_ , Yang Xiao Long." Her voice came out with a hiss, doing a good job of not disturbing the other students working nearby despite her clear anger. "What I care about is you messing with my work ethic like it doesn't even matter."

She waited for the brawler to make a retort, but when Yang's lilac eyes simply flickered away and back, she continued on.

"I didn't want to go to Atlas Academy and had to leave without my father's permission to come to Beacon. When he found out, he was furious, but not furious enough to come out and get me. Thus, he made me promise that I had to get straight As or he'd come here immediately and take me back home. I know we don't get along very well, but I still like it here. I still like you and Blake and Ruby and Vale and everything here! _Maybe_ it doesn't matter to you, but my ability to go to this school is on the line now because of your stunt and, frankly, your dismissive attitude to this situation is making me consider the transfer _just_ a little."

The news rattled the blonde. She opened her mouth to say something but nothing came out.

Receiving no reply, Weiss gathered her papers in her arms and walked off, holding her glare at her teammate even as she left the room.

After a moment or two, Yang put her elbows on the table, her hands running through the strands above her forehead.

_Wait, so… THAT'S why she was taking her grades so seriously? She'll have to LEAVE if she does too badly?!_

A pit of guilt formed in her stomach. Sure, Weiss had been correct that they didn't always get along, but sending her off because of HER mistake was just…

_Actually, she has mentioned a lot about her dad, about him being insanely strict..._

_DAMMIT! I SHOULD'VE FIGURED THAT OUT!_

She felt sick. Ruby was right; this was HER fault.

_Dust, what am I gonna do?_

…

_No, I know perfectly well what I have to do._

* * *

Yang held an empty glass above her head and banged a fork on it, the chiming silencing the cafeteria and drawing all eyes to her as she stood. She cleared her throat and began shouting

"Ladies and gentlemen, let it be known here and now that I, Yang Xiao Long, have committed a failure of epic proportions that I must humbly resolve!"

She spared a glance at Weiss and the sight made her smirk. She didn't think she'd ever seen the heiress look so mortified in the past few months that she'd known her.

"The other day, I turned off my teammate's alarm and made her miss a test and lose points because of it! I would like to inform you all that this makes me a complete idiot that doesn't think of the repercussions of her actions and shows my supreme lack of judgement! I wish for you all to fully acknowledge my stupidity and allow me to humiliate myself for my complete and utter imbecility!"

As she finished, there was a moment where silence drifted over the cafeteria. There was some low murmuring and a few little chuckles before the entire hall was filled with laughter.

Yang took in the humiliation, keeping her arms out wide and the smile plastered to her face even as her cheeks lit up.

As she sat back down, she brought up a hand to whisper loudly to Weiss over the roaring laughs around them. ' _And don't worry_ , _I talked with Professor Oobleck about the incident. He told me to talk to Ozpin later and said that he'd offer you a short extra credit project to make up the points on the exam_.'

…

"You… you promise not to do it again?"

"I promise."

…

"Fine, I forgive you." The heiress muttered, a clear blush across her cheeks.

The blonde beamed, relief flooding through her veins as she was finally able to relax her body for the first time in the past several hours.

…

"…so, uh, does that mean I can keep my joke privi-"

"DON'T PUSH YOUR LUCK, XIAO LONG."


	4. Double Date (May 2018)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth, of which I am not a part of.

**May 16th: Double Dates**

* * *

"Guys, I'm telling you. This place has the absolute sickest ice cream I've ever had." Sun surmised, his tail wrapping happily around Neptune's waist as he pulled his partner along.

Yang grinned back, the jokes practically writing itself. "I don't know, Sun; I bet Nep could really go for some _Weiss_ cream right n-OWWW!"

The blonde soothed her arm. "What the heck, Princess?!"

The blue glare she was expecting never came, Weiss looking in the complete opposite direction. "If we have to deal with Monkey Boy's lame shenanigans, I'd prefer it if you at least tried to up the quality of your puns."

"I don't know, I thought it was pretty funny." The blue-haired boy chuckled as he nearly tripped over himself trying to keep pace with the excited Faunus.

Weiss's only response was to look down and blush.

The sight of the tiny girl's cheeks tinted pink made Yang's heart soar even as it crumbled. Weiss was _adorable_ when she was embarrassed, but the fact that Neptune was the one making her blush just rubbed her the wrong way.

Admittedly, the fact that she'd promised to help her teammate get the attention of Mistral's very own Casanova (with the added insistence of Sun's help) might have made such a fact hypocritical… if it were not for the fact that the two blondes had planned this situation to make their teammates fall for THEM instead.

At the very least, the brawler wasn't barking up the wrong tree. Weiss definitely wasn't straight; at the very least, she was bisexual. Maybe she could pretend not to be checking out Blake as she did her makeup in the morning or claim decency for her scrambling under her own bedsheets when Yang came out of the shower and changed in the dorm room, but experience had taught the blonde girl what shy lesbians sounded like and if Weiss wasn't one…

As for Sun, it was a well-known fact that Neptune would hit on quite literally _anything_ so that wasn't a major issue.

Sure, the technique was questionable but if Weiss didn't fall for her, that was just one heartbreak she'd have to deal with.

Yang gave off a subtle wink to Sun which he returned a second later. _Operation Date-the-Matchmakers is a go!_

"Seriously, you two are gonna LOVE this place." The leader exclaimed, throwing his arm around the other boy's shoulder. "The stuff is so good that people often order flavors they don't like because it just tastes BETTER here!" A toothy grin flashed from the boy's face as they rounded the street corner, the shop coming into full view.

"What are you gonna get, Weiss? Though, I bet I already know the answer…" The larger girl bent down to the heiress's level, whispering seductively in her ear, "Its Iceberg Freeze, isn't it?"

Weiss flushed harder than she could ever remember. "I swear, you're a freaking mongrel, you know that?!" Her blow was deflected this time by the cackling blonde, the taller girl sticking out her tongue teasingly.

In spite of the roll of his eyes, Neptune made a small smile, which was quickly replaced by a confused frown as his teammate suddenly pulled him forwards through the glass double doors into the ice cream parlor.

* * *

"Uh, don't you guys think we should get a larger bench?"

"Yeah, this is kind of… uncomfortable."

"Huh? What are you two talking about?"

"Yeah! We're all close friends, this is fine!"

Yang had to admit, even Neptune looked kinda cute all flustered like that.

The ice queen and the blue-haired boy were squished between the two beaming blondes on a park bench, both too busy staring at their laps sheepishly.

Weiss suddenly spoke up. "Uh, Neptune, your ice cream's melting!"

Slightly dazed, the boy shook himself. "Huh? Oh…" He looked down at the chocolate for a second before angling it towards the heiress's face. "Want some?"

Sweat suddenly built up on Yang's forehead. She knew the kid was suave, but she hadn't expected him to pull something like this whilst he was panicking internally.

Before the smaller girl could even open her mouth to reply, with all the grace of a shrieking Nevermore, Yang shot herself forward over her teammate to take a huge bite out of the cone. Neptune reeled back in surprise.

And understandable disgust.

For the first time in a while, Yang questioned her impulse behavior. Three pairs of blue eyes stared back at her; even Sun was shocked!

Lilac shifted nervously under the attention. "Uh…"

That's when she noticed that one pair of azure dulled into an almost trance-like state.

Her mind went blank as a tongue passed across on her cheek, only able to gape in… something as her snow-haired teammate removed a spot of the dessert from her face in a rather forward manner.

She could only look on as the heiress underwent a much slower and far more flushed reaction than hers.

"Uh, perhaps we should give you two a little privacy." Sun shuttered out, once again almost pulling Neptune's arm out of its socket as he dragged the barely conscious boy into a more secluded part of the park.

That left the two girls alone, and the embarrassment was so thick, the brawler could almost feel it in the air, suffocating her.

"W-Weiss…?" She managed, looking down at the back of the girl's head. She could hear the hitched breathing and that scared her more than anything her snow-haired teammate might say.

After a long pause, she heard Weiss practically whispering. ' _D-did you really have to jump the gun like that?! Acting all cute and…'_

Confusion crashed over her. "M-me? You're the one who…" Even if she'd consider herself bolder than most, there was no way Yang was going to say the right words out loud. "...jumped the gun with that stunt. I thought you were here after Neptune? Why were you blushing so much whenever he flirted with you?"

Blue came up to meet her gaze, the humiliation behind it obvious and palpable. "You… you oaf! I was turning crimson because of everything YOU said! Because YOU were whispering stuff in my ear! Because YOU were the one squishing into my side!" Her lips began to purse in anger. "To think, Neptune and I managed to organize this jealousy plan so perfectly only for you to come along and blindside me!"

Despite her stubbornness against any wrongdoings, her hands shot up to her face to hide her mortified look, quietly wishing that she'd just stayed at home, wrapped up in her blanket.

…

After a few awkward seconds of silence, Yang burst into laughter.

"Holy dust, snowflake! If I knew you were gonna pull the exact same thing I was, I wouldn't of even bothered trying anything!"

As Weiss released her face from her palms, her eyes wide with shock, she let out a small 'Eep!' as two large arms wrapped themselves around her, seconds before their lips touched. Though her mind was screaming, the blue eyes slowly fell, fingers coming up to thread through golden locks. Weiss's lips tasted like strawberry, the flavor of her ice cream, while Yang's obviously tasted like the chocolate that she'd stolen from Neptune.

Though both could easily have agreed that the other's lips tasted far better than the frozen treats.

…

As the two boys broke apart for air, Neptune spoke up. "Hey, Sun?"

"Hmm?"

"Do you feel like we're forgetting something?"

The Faunus's face twisted upwards in thought as he tried to recall jumbled memories.

"Oh, yeah. We forgot to pay Weiss back for the ice cream."

Both guys looked at each other for a few seconds.

"Meh, we can pay her back later."

Neptune smirked as he drew his head back in.

* * *

**Sea Monkeys. 'Cause why not? I have many guilty pleasures. Was gonna do Arkos but these two seemed to fit better; after all, there's no two-way-attraction between either of those two and Weiss.**

**And I'd probably accidently end up killing Pyrrha by accident if she spent too much time in this fanfic.**


	5. Fake Relationship (May 2018)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth, of which I am not a part of.

**May 17th: Fake Relationship**

* * *

"Remind me again why I decided to come here with you as your 'date'?"

"Uh, free drinks?"

Yang got a well-deserved glower in return, knowing full well that neither of them had a drop of alcohol, still being under eighteen.

"Okay, fine. It's because _yow wove me!_ " She leaned in, puckering up, only to receive a large palm to the face. "ACK!"

Weiss gritted her teeth in a vain attempt to hold down her blush through sheer willpower alone. It was bad enough that she'd agreed to go out on a FAKE DATE with Yang, but now the girl had to TEASE her about it?!

Eventually, the blonde managed to wrestle the hand away from her mouth. "Come _on_ , Weiss. How else were we supposed to get into a couple's night party if we weren't pretending to be each other's girlfriends?"

Weiss only shook her head. Whatever force had convinced her to go along with this would face her wrath tomorrow morning; for now, she just had to sit there and seethe at the idea of only _pretending_ to be going out with the girl she'd had a crush on for over a year now.

What the heck was she doing at this stupid place anyway?

' _It's because yow wove me!'_

_Dammit. DAMMIT DAMMIT DAMMIT._

Her face contorted as she fought the tears threatening to break from her eyes.

Seriously? How could Yang just tease her about her feelings like that?!

The blonde stopped smiling when the heiress started clutching her head with her hands. Looking around at the blaring lights and crowds of other partygoers, she took up the smaller girl's hand. As the white-haired girl looked up at the sudden gesture, Yang nodded towards a nearby door and pulled her along before she could get a word out.

The staircase was in its own little sealed corridor, though the music's booming could still be faintly heard through the walls. As she guided Weiss onto one of the steps, the taller girl sat on a step below her, looking up at her closed eyes with deep concern. "If you're not having fun, you should tell me. We can go someplace else…"

The other girl scoffed to herself. Yang had practically BEGGED her to come. The constant annoyance of the demand had been one of three real reasons she'd finally been able to recall for coming, along with the idea of Yang asking another girl to the party and the decision to entertain the idea that it might actually be fun.

_Heh. FUN. What could possibly be 'fun' about a loud party with thousands of people that I don't know or care about and the one person I DO care about MOCKING me the whole time?_

She opened up her eyes again and saw lilac staring back at her, blood rushing to her own cheeks. Any snarky remark she'd built up in her throat died quickly as she tried to recall the proper technique for breathing properly, opting instead to look away from the gorgeous orbs and try to think of something else to say.

"Hey. Look, Weiss. I get it; parties aren't your thing. But seriously, if there's anything you need, just let me know." The blonde flashed a warm smile. "I promise I'll get it for you."

Crap, her heart was fluttering again. Gulping, she attempted to force her face into returning to a reasonable shade of red, thankful for the funky changing lights of the stairwell making her skin glow unnaturally to combat the obvious blush that was enveloping it.

_Think of something, Weiss! Anything! She asked you a question and not answering will just make her worry…_

Slowly, she opened her mouth, but the word tumbled out faster than she could think to stop it.

"You."

And as soon as it left her mouth, her mind started shrieking.

_WHAT THE HELL?!_

_WHAT THE HELL, WHAT THE HELL, WHAT THE HELL?!_

_WHY WOULD I SAY THAT, OF ALL THINGS?! WHAT WAS I THINKING?! WHY_ _**WASN'T** _ _I THINKING?!_

But Yang didn't recoil like Weiss thought she would. In fact, she didn't seem fazed by the word, her only outward reaction being the curling of her lips upwards.

"Gotcha. One helping of 'me' coming right up."

And before Weiss could react, they were kissing. The pounding of the music through the walls was nothing compared to the blood pumping through her ears.

Everything was a mess. A big, wet, sloppy, lovely mess. And it all felt _great_.

As their lips separated, a small line of saliva still connecting them, the heiress sat there, trying and failing to make words from the sounds escaping her mouth. The blonde simply sat back, tilting her head at a flirty angle and smirking before her expression slowly transferred to a more sympathetic smile.

"There. Even if you thought the rest of the party sucked, I bet that part will stay in your memory to remind you of the awesome time you had." She giggled lightly, a sound Weiss could never recall hearing in her entire time knowing the blonde. "Thanks for even considering coming, Weiss. It meant a lot to me."

Thankfully, coherent thought had worked its way back into the white-haired girl's brain. Did that really just happen? Had she really admitted her feelings to Yang and got a kiss in return or had she just died of boredom at that damn party and ended up going to heaven? Maybe she accidently ended up ordering some sort of drink and was currently in the middle of a groggy love dream?

Certainly, if she had indeed gotten drunk, she _really_ hoped this part wasn't going to be over anytime soon.

Real or not, one thing was for sure: She was NEVER, EVER going to forget that kiss.

 _Or this one._ She thought, drawing Yang in for round two, the blonde more than happy to oblige. This time, her arms were actually able to move, curling them up around the larger girl's neck and drawing her into a deep embrace.


	6. Beach Date (May 2018)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth, of which I am not a part of.

**If you've ever wondered why I don't write smut, it's because I feel like using such language sounds stupid when I'm the one employing it. That being said, this chapter is probably gonna be the closest I've ever written to the 'Mature' rating without actually going over the edge with my wording.**

**May 18th: Beach Date**

* * *

 

"BEACH DAY!"

"YEAH! BEACH DAY!"

Pinching the bridge of her nose, Weiss watched as her girlfriend and said girlfriend's younger sister ran off towards the sandy shoreline, leaving their teammates walking together through the dunes towards Mistral's largest beach along the Southern Ocean, privately reserved that day for the four vacationing heroes of Remnant. "Blake, remind me again why I'm dating that insufferable oaf?"

The Faunus girl smirked. "Because you think she looks sexy in a bikini?" She deadpanned.

The former heiress returned a bristling glare. Mostly because the rebuttal was true.

Even if the main reason for her love of the blonde girl was that said girl cared about her more than most of the members of her family combined (and she made sure to return that love often), she had to admit that her girlfriend looked like a total bombshell with that gorgeous, toned, curvy body squeezed into that yellow bikini.

"Oi! Blakey! Quit flirting with my snowflake!" The brawler in question shouted at them from their umbrella.

The brunette shook her head, wriggling her upper pair of ears. "Oh please. Matching gut scars or not, she's still too cold for my tastes."

Yang returned a sly grin. "Maybe to you, but to me, she's pretty damn _hot_!"

She opened her mouth to laugh, only to receive a volleyball to the face.

"For crying out loud, Yang! Your puns are worse than that oasis town we stopped at in the Vacuo desert." The white-haired girl huffed, picking the ball back off the ground after dropping the cooler down next to their beach blanket. Blake quickly settled down in the shade of their umbrella while Ruby was already sprinting towards the ocean.

"RUBY, GET BACK HERE AND AT LEAST PUT ON SOME SUNBLOCK BEFORE YOU GO CHARGING IN!"

"YOU'RE NOT THE LEADER OF TEAM RWBY!" The younger girl shouted back as she splashed into the shallows before diving headfirst into the breaking waves.

Weiss turned her head back to her girlfriend, aggravation clear in her crystalline eyes. "If she gets sunburned or attacked by a Grimm Kraken, I'm not helping her, partner or not."

Yang shrugged back. "You can lie all you want, Snow Angel. Doesn't matter to me. Besides," she sat down next to her own partner, the other girl already engrossed in her novel, "considering what we've been through, she could probably handle a Kraken on her own."

The former heiress arched an eyebrow. "Even without Crescent Rose?"

The blonde patted the trunk she'd set down next to their spot, containing all sorts of gear including the team's weapons.

Shaking her head, Weiss dropped the ball in the sand and stretched, picking at the ends of her swimsuit. It was a blue one-piece, unlike the theme-colored bikinis the rest of her team wore. Unfortunately, it was absurdly tight, despite her clear lacking in the…

…well, at least compared to her teammates. NOT THAT THAT WAS A PROBLEM, OF COURSE.

... _yeah. Of course not._

"Hey, Weiss!"

At the sound of her name, she looked up, only to reel back in horror at the sight.

"Come on, Weiss." Yang grinned menacingly, wriggling her goopy fingers for effect. "Let olde Yangy coat your pale, pale skin in _ungodly_ amounts of sunscreen."

"YANG! WHAT THE HECK?!" She shrieked, running off as her larger companion gave chase, arms stretched out and cackling.

Blake's only reaction was the amused twitching of her ears at the laughter of the two.

…

"You look ridiculously sexy in that swimsuit."

"I'm not the one wearing a bikini, Yang." The smaller girl said, twirling the ties on the back of her girlfriend's neck.

"Please, Weiss…"

"I'm being serious!" Self-consciously, Weiss pushed away from the brawler, swimming backwards several feet.

"But you look like you're gonna pop out of that thing!"

"That's because I probably am! This thing is way too small." Weiss whined, tugging at the edge of the fabric for emphasis. "I wish I'd had time to buy a new one."

When she didn't receive a reply, she looked up, now worried by the ambitious looked on Yang's face. "Uh, Yang?" She asked, her voice filled with concern as she started slowly moving herself backwards through the water, her lover approaching quickly like a shark.

The blonde's smile only grew at her teammate's fear. "Well, if it's squeezing you to death like that…" Her fingers began curling into the top of the blue swimsuit, lighting Weiss's face up a bright crimson. "I could help take you out of it and…"

She pulled the swimsuit down, making it to Weiss's waist before being splashed by seawater, leaving her sputtering.

"YANG!"

The namesake rubbed her mouth with her arm, lowering it to reveal an unfazed smile. "What?"

Her girlfriend was significantly less pleased, covering her bare chest with her arms. Her face was red like her leader's cloak, flushed with rage. "There is no way I'm skinny-dipping here for something stupid like that!"

Yang stuck her tongue out. "Oh, so you'd do it if it wasn't stupid?"

"Blake can probably still hear us!"

"And that matters how?"

Another blast of water sent her into a coughing fit.

Once she finally regained control of her breathing, she looked up to see her girlfriend pulling the tiny one-piece back up, eyes squeezed shut.

"Weiss, I just don't you to feel uncomfortable in…"

"I'D FEEL _SIGNIFICANTLY_ _MORE_ UNCOMFORTABLE OUT OF IT, YANG."

Pouting, the blonde approached again.

The ice queen raised her hands above the surface of the ocean, ready to spray the taller girl at a moment's notice, only to be crushed in a large bear hug, almost lifting her out of the water.

Face twisting in confusion, she felt her girlfriend's body press against hers, heat crawling up her face from the skin-to-skin contact. "W-w-what do you think you're doing, Yang?!"

There was a moment of silence.

"…are you feeling insecure about your body, Weiss?"

"That's the NORMAL response to someone trying to strip you in public, _dunce_."

Lilac circles stared back at her, unmoving. "Then why'd you put on that tiny one-piece when you bought a new bikini last week?"

Weiss stopped struggling, looking down in shock. After a few seconds, she huffed before looking away. "…okay, maybe I'm feeling a _little_ -"

The brawler sighed. "Weiss, I hope you know that none of us care about that sort of thing." Setting her girlfriend down, she smiled warmly at the former heiress before leaning down to kiss her forehead. "You're lovely, even if you're fun-sized."

The former heiress closed her eyes and took a deep breath before blue rose to meet the welcoming purple. "I'm gonna make you regret calling me that."

Her words didn't match the relieved smile curling the ends of her lips up.

"I'm being serious." Yang countered, gripping the top of her girlfriend's swimsuit once more. "Want me to prove it?"

***SMACK***

…

Blake sighed. "What did Weiss say to you as you were running off?"

"Sheesh. Why do you _always_ take her si-OWOWOWOWOW." Ruby hissed in pain as the cat Faunus pressed cool aloe against the burnt skin.

" _Gee, I wonder._ " The brunette snarled back, her ears pinned to her head angrily.

The younger girl put her hand to the back of her neck, only to wince at the touch of the agitated skin.

Shaking her head in annoyance, Blake dropped her bookmarked novel completely to focus on her leader's arm. She only looked up from her task when she heard her partner approaching, still dripping wet from the ocean.

"Hey, Yang?" The Faunus asked, watching the blonde slump past.

"Hmmm?"

"I think you missed a spot with your sunscreen."

"Where?"

"On your cheek. If you want, I'll help you out but you gotta wait until I'm done treating your sister."

"I didn't miss that spot."

"But it's all re-"

"I DON'T WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT."

* * *

 

"… **she's still too cold for my tastes." It kinda hurt my Monochrome heart to write that but the Monos aren't paired in this fic so oh well; that's not why you guys are here anyway, you're here for Freezerburn and I'm making it because Freezerburn so let's all just Freezerburn then.**

… **Something something Freezerburn.**

**What the heck am I saying? I think writing about topless Weiss broke my brain. That and exhaustion from real life events.**


	7. Phobias (May 2018)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth, of which I am not a part of.

**May 19th: Phobias**

* * *

' _Truth or dare, Weiss?'_

' _Dare.'_

' _Alright. I dare you… to tickle Blake without waking her up.'_

' _Wait, so this is a dare I can lose through no fault of my own?'_

' _As long as you don't go overboard!'_

'… _fine.'_

The heiress stood from the floor between their bunks and shuffled over to her brunette teammate's sleeping form. Biting her lip and extending her fingers out, she brushed her nails along Blake's skin, causing the sleeping girl to mumble and shift around, letting out a giggle as the touch ghosted over her again. Eventually, she returned to her spot in front of the cross-legged blonde.

' _There. Tickled. Truth or dare, Yang.'_

' _Oh, please. Why don't you actually TRY and tickle her this time?'_

' _You made no such specifications, you oaf. TRUTH OR DARE.'_

' _Uuugh. Very well then; dare.'_

' _I dare you… to take off your bra.'_

' _Woah, Ice Queen's getting into the hot stuff. You sure you don't wanna just take this to bed?'_

' _Well, if you're too scared to do it...'_

After a few seconds of silence in the dark, there was a small click.

' _I said OFF, Yang. As in, off your body-EEP!'_

Just as the last word left her mouth, she let out a squeak as the warm fabric hit her in the face.

' _There you go, Weissy. One Yang with her girls unleashed.'_ The blonde proclaimed with her tongue stuck out, shaking her chest back and forth for emphasis. _'The tank top's staying on, though, sorry to say.'_

' _I-I can't believe you actually did that.'_ The heiress sputtered back, throwing the undergarment down next to her.

' _Duh, that's the rules. Truth or dare.'_

Weiss bit her lip. She was sure that that dare would've made the brawler give up, or, at the very least, fazed her. Instead, she'd just opened herself up to the blonde's full retaliation.

_Maybe I should steer clear of dares for now._

Looking at the clock, the white-haired girl saw that it was past 1:30. It would probably be for the best if they called it quits soon (not that it was a school night) but her brain quickly thought up another idea that would surely make Yang surrender.

…she just needed to make it to the next round.

'… _truth.'_

…

For a moment, Yang didn't respond, clearly lost in thought as the shine of her lilac eyes showed, the only thing that could be easily made out in the pitch-black room.

'… _what is your biggest fear?'_

'… _huh?'_

' _Your biggest fear. Something that scares the crud out of you whenever you think about it.'_

The silence returned.

' _I… I guess the biggest thing I'm worried about right now is failing to become a proper huntress.'_

' _What? THAT'S what you're most afraid of? Weiss, you're an awesome fighter…'_

' _BUT I'VE SCREWED UP SO MUCH SINCE I CAME HERE!'_

The hiss silenced the blonde's rebuttal. She looked on at the sparkling azure before her.

' _I messed up plenty on my first day in battle because of my personal gripes with Ruby! I chased Blake away because of my stupid prejudice! I almost got knocked out by Torchwick when we fought him under the highway! I almost got KILLED on the train and Blake had to bail me out! I even nearly got myself knocked out trying to take out Flynt in our match and I DIDN'T EVEN TAKE HIM OUT OF THE FIGHT!'_

' _Weiss, calm down! You're gonna wake up the rest of the team.'_

With that, the heiress fell silent, staring down at her hands in her lap. She curled and uncurled her fingers, brows furrowing in frustration.

' _I can't even summon properly. I'm hopeless.'_

' _STOP IT, WEISS. You're NOT hopeless.'_

Though the girl in question opened her mouth to reply, Yang kept going.

' _You think you're the only one who makes mistakes? You SAVED Ruby from a Nevermore in the Emerald Forest when I got stopped by a bunch of FEATHERS. I didn't realize Blake was a Faunus and she was my PARTNER. Torchwick punched me through a CONCRETE PILLAR because I charged in blindly. And you weren't the only one who nearly got killed on the train.'_

' _Huh? What do you-'_

' _And even in our match against those Atlas students! I let that Neon chick screw with my head. Let my hot-headed temper get to me at the worst time possible!'_

'… _did you really have to make a pun out of that?'_

' _That's not the point. You've made a lot of mistakes in the past and so have I. But that's the natural way things go; we're still in school, after all. We just need to learn from the things we do wrong and keep moving forwards regardless.'_

…

'… _Yang, I think you're making yourself out worse than how you truly are. I've seen you do incredible things since I got to Beacon. Just because you tripped up a couple of times doesn't make you any less amazing!'_

' _Then maybe you should try applying that line of thought to yourself instead?'_

Silence descended once more.

'… _well, uh, aren't you going to ask?'_

' _Huh? WAIT, WHAT?!'_

Immediately, the heiress's mind raced to extremes for the meaning of those words, leaving her flustered.

' _Truth or dare, Weiss. We were playing it.'_

_Oh, right._

The heiress screwed up her face, trying to recall what her plan had been before they had gotten sidetracked.

…

…she couldn't even remotely remember what she'd thought up only minutes ago.

'… _honestly, it's getting pretty late. I think I'm done for the night.'_

' _You're giving up? Even though it's my turn to go?'_

' _I guess so. Er… well, actually…'_

Weiss glanced to the side, clearly embarrassed again.

' _Maybe I'll take you up on your bed offer.'_

' _Yeesh, I didn't even get to choose truth or dare. Why don't we just kiss if you're so eager?'_

' _BED. CUDDLE. NOW. I DARE YOU.'_

Yang stifled a laugh.

' _Very well. As the ice queen commands…'_

As they clambered up onto the empty upper bunk and the larger girl docked against her, Weiss managed to get a face-full of cleavage.

' _Uh, Yang?'_

' _Hmmm?'_

' _Why aren't you wearing a bra?'_

' _Cause you told me to take it off before, remember?'_

…

Lilac looked down at her with concern. _'Why, is that a problem?'_

… _oh._

_Right._

…

… _crap._

* * *

**…**

**…oh. Right. Closing statement.**

**I don't know.**

**Boobs.**

**Boobs are cool.**

**Brain is exhausted.**

**Sleep now.**

**Zzzzzzzzz.**


	8. Fire and Ice (May 2018)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth, of which I am not a part of.

**Don't worry, the risqué stuff is done. Last one is in a bit of a different format than usual. Not sure if it worked, but that's for you guys to judge.**

**May 20th: Fire and Ice**

* * *

From the moment they met, those two knew that they'd never get along. That they'd never be able to stand the other's presence. It was clear to everyone, the brunette and Yang's little sister included, as the two traded insults in the darkness of the ballroom, on the very first day of Beacon's first semester.

The two were polar opposites, fire and ice. The only thing they shared was their temper. But while the blonde was warm and welcoming, the heiress was cold and confrontational.

Opposites clash, butting heads as they always do.

Any step one would make out of place, the other would take measures to ensure that they knew. No leeway was given, even to minor screw-ups, slight deviations and over-the-top concerns.

Yang began to crack Weiss's icy exterior while the heiress herself managed to put out the flames of recklessness.

By the end of the first semester, though they didn't always see eye to eye, both had a healthy respect for the other's manner and attitude towards others; even if it wasn't perfect, both were making an effort to change into something better.

Yang enjoyed pulling Weiss's foot, getting her riled up or excited about something, only to release all the pressure at a moment's notice. She'd figure out Weiss's hobbies and push her way into them, often challenging the other girl to chess matches or accompanying her to the theater. She didn't always enjoy the events themselves; what kept her going through them was whatever funny reactions she could coax out of her tiny teammate.

Likewise, Weiss was able to figure out what made Yang tick. She took an interest in the comics and card games Yang loved, often finding herself getting further into them than she'd intended. She'd watch over the blonde's training matches and criticize her fighting style, though she would always prove helpful advice and spared with her regularly. Whenever the brawler messed up, the heiress was there to dust her off and explain to her what went wrong.

Perhaps that was why the two were chosen for the double's round in the Vytal Festival.

The two spent MONTHS practicing their respective combination attacks. But Yang's fiery semblance often clashed with Weiss's ice dust attacks. It was hard to overcome such a thing, but they made it work. It didn't matter how much they suffered, they _forced_ it to work.

The Atlas kids thought they would put up a good fight, but it meant nothing to the hot and cold duo. Even after the heiress fell, it was enough to push the brawler over the edge.

And by Oum, did Flynt regret insulting Weiss.

Yang never let Weiss down; that's why, after the incident with Mercury, Weiss never gave up on Yang. Even when it came to their friend, the blonde's own partner and someone the Schnee girl had been working well with the past few months, the snow-haired girl didn't hold back.

Perhaps that's why she regretted not having the energy to follow Yang. That she could've been there to do _something_. When Blake told her that she might've died at the hands of a White Fang commander who would use all of their strength if it meant killing a Schnee, she couldn't bring herself to care. If she'd been there, she could've done _SOMETHING_ , _ANYTHING_ to help them. To stop what had happened.

But that was in the past now. There was nothing either of them could do about it.

Yang had found herself abandoned by so much in her life. By her mother, by her own partner. But Ruby leaving pushed the pain further over the edge. That she hadn't been able to say goodbye, that she hadn't even said 'I love you' to _her own sister_ …

…that she may never have the chance to do so again…

Sometimes, as she found herself wallowing in the endless void she'd fallen into since she'd lost her arm to Adam, part of her wondered if it would've been easier with the ice queen holding her, telling her how it would be alright, how they'd be okay. To smell the fresh frost of recent glyphs, the feeling of tiny arms working their way around her waist and the beautiful whispering voice telling her how everything would be okay in the end.

And it had broken Weiss's heart to leave her team behind, forced back to Atlas by her overbearing father.

The frigid halls of the Schnee mansion isolated Weiss from contact with the outside world. All through the rather warm months of Atlas's fall, the heiress shivered.

She wished dearly that she could find herself, once again, back in the protective hold of Yang. Telling her that she'd be there for her. To feel the flame of life, of the larger girl's heart, pulsing against her. She wished to find herself lost in strong arms and golden strands, held by someone who had done so much for her, who didn't concern herself about names or accomplishments or failures or anything like that. Someone who saw her for who she really was.

So when they finally reunited in Mistral, when everything had calmed down and they'd had their first opportunity to talk, the first thing Weiss did was to jump into her teammate's arms with all her might.

That might wasn't much, but it was more than enough to reinforce her own words.

"I missed you _so much_."

And she _had_ missed Yang. Missed being with someone who actually cared for her. Who would stand by her side through the hardest battles. She wasn't Winter, but maybe it was better that way, to have someone who supported her from the beginning, the old-fashioned way. Home wasn't back in Atlas, it was right there with the one person who could wipe away her tears.

She knew the heat of their bond would keep the frozen heart in her chest beating.

Indeed, the words certainly froze Yang. To hear, after searching for her mother her entire life, after learning about all the awful things that this Raven Branwen had done… it made nothing else matter. No matter how cruel her parent had been, no matter her reasons, Yang had someone else. Someone that she could protect and someone who could protect her.

"I missed you too."

The reply came with a soothing frost in the evening breeze.

And perhaps that is why their lips had met, under the setting sun, surrounded by people that didn't care about them, in a world that didn't care about them. And that they didn't care about.

Because they had each other. And _that_ was enough.

* * *

**And that's it! Again, I hope you guys enjoyed! I can definitely say that they were fun to write; I love Freezerburn so it was a treat for me as much as it probably was for you guys to read it.**

**I'll be resuming Promise Ribbons (where Weiss also gets love, this time from Blake) soon, so expect the next chapter before June. I'm planning on getting Blazblue: Cross Tag Battle on the 6** **th** **of next month, so production may slow even further at that point. Most of its remaining chapters have their ideas fleshed out however, so it shouldn't be too long until I complete it; I just need to work out the details in between the conceptual components.**


	9. Alone Together (Dec 2018)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth, of which I am not a part of.

**Wow, two Freezerburn Weeks in one year? I could get used to this!**

**Sorry about missing that work I promised for Halloween; it ended up coming out worse than I would've prefer and, to be honest, I don't think most of you guys would've enjoyed it (a bit too much damage to team relations and psychological horror, all without a happy ending). I will, however, be writing for Freezerburn Week this month, as well as Monochrome Week next February and Bee's Schnees Week on whatever week it is next year. Most other WIPs are on hold because of other reasons including, but not limited to, sheer procrastination and life kicking into high gear.**

**December 11** **th** **: Alone Together**

* * *

The smog hung heavy high above the old town of Patch, the setting sun able to just about burn through the dark cover to shine along the shoreline. Each wood and log building, having stood for hundreds of years, showed signs of damage from the smoke still crawling its way through the sky, belched out by the factories of Vale City only a couple dozen miles away as workers bustled in from the nearby train station.

The Crystaltree Inn was nowhere near a major stop for those returning from their harsh days at the manufacturing and coal plants. Yet everybody in Patch felt obligated to give the old tavern its fair share of business, even if the local wine tasted like piss.

A certain Miss Xiao Long was forever thankful for her customers' patronage.

Service was never booming (heck, a rush hour was rare in this tiny, forgotten village) but at least the tips were decent. She'd pretty much memorized everyone's routine and favorite meal, down to the point that they only had to wave her down as soon as they entered for her to jot down their menu and send it to the kitchen for an early prep. Blake was sitting at her piano, playing another tune she'd made over the weekend, a small jar filled of coins left on a stand nearby. The songs were never the same, but they all had a similar feeling that the blonde could only associate with Patch since the Faunus had moved there.

It was a familiar atmosphere that she'd known for over a decade now.

Thus, when a young woman sporting a form-fitting black suit, accenting her flowing locks of frost, barged her way through the main entrance and stood tapping a hole in the welcome mat with a rage-filled scowl, Yang was at a loss.

She greeted the stranger in haste, beckoning her over to a less intrusive part of the restaurant where her mutterings didn't disturb the other patrons through the sheltered booths. As Yang brought out some water for the customer, she almost found herself lost in the image before her: lit by the bleeding orange sun shining in from the window, a breath-taking masterpiece with marble-like features for such pale skin. A beautiful, almost sculptured, figure sat before her, hair tinted bronze and lush despite the mild evidence of dishevel, all topped off with an adorable pout (despite that ever-persistent glower clear within her crystalline eyes) across the face cupped in her hand. The phrase 'gorgeous' came to mind but she pushed it away; now was not the time to be caught staring, she had a job to do.

The clearing of her throat brought the glare up towards her and she would've been lying if it hadn't made her falter a bit. Nevertheless, she pressed on, setting the cold beverage in front of the customer that only managed to distract the suffocating rage for a few seconds.

"Good evening, miss. My name is Yang and I'll be y-your waiter tonight." She didn't mean to stutter but the other woman had narrowed her eyes, the intensity of the look spiking.

She remained composed though. One day, she would be speaking in front of the country's council; if she couldn't handle one angry visitor, there was no place in politics for her.

"What would you like to start out with?"

"Whatever's at the top of the menu, I guess."

Even as she jotted down that night's special, the comment had her mind moving. There was something in this woman's voice that seemed… she couldn't really put her finger on it, but there was a layer of sheer fatigue, as though she's resigned herself to Yang's confidence.

Yet…

…somewhere within that layer, there was a twinge of self-deprecation. However, it was so faint that she felt as though she'd imagined it.

"Of course. Is that all, Miss…?"

"Weiss. Just call me Weiss." With that, the white-haired girl leveled her gaze back at the glass next to her.

As she scurried back to the kitchen with the order, picking up empty trays along the way and waving greetings to many of the, now distant, friends she'd made over the years, Yang's mind began to work over the situation.

_Okay, a young, likely rich, business lady that isn't from around here. Did she come in from the city? Why stop in Patch, of all places?_

Of course, she personally felt that the town was beautiful, especially in the early hours of the evening when Vale's smog had finally faded away just enough for a picturesque scene of warm colors to pour over the forested landscape, waves lapping gently at the bay's shoreline. Even so, Patch wasn't exactly a wealthy town itself, much less a tourist hot-spot.

_Why here, then?_

When she returned with the meal, she noticed Weiss gazing out the window. Her eyes were… much softer than they had been before. The glass of water in front of her looked as though it hadn't even been touched. Clearing her throat, Yang sparked the girl's angry glare back to life, snapping back in her direction as she placed the order down in front of her customer.

"Is there anything else you'd like? Maybe something to drink? We have a great selection of wine in the back."

The words gave the businesswoman pause. For a second, she opened her mouth, as though she had a witty retort prepared, before looking back at the plate set before her.

"No, that's… quite alright."

Bringing her hands behind her back and giving a polite bow, Yang began to turn back towards the main bar, only to catch a faint whisper behind her.

' _I'm such an idiot…_ '

Heels clacked to a stop. Looking back over her shoulder, the blonde took only a second to consider her words.

"Want to talk about it?"

Blue eyes went wide. She didn't look up, her frown still in place, but pinched the bridge of her nose as her face scrunched up.

"…I supposed that would do some good."

A soft smile breaking out on her lips, Yang returned to the kitchen and ended her shift, changing back into her gown and picking up a bottle of their best whiskey with nothing more than a wave from her boss Junior, who seemed rather busy reading through the local newspaper.

When she sat down right across from Weiss, the smaller girl's shoulders jumped. She looked up, gapping, as the blonde popped the cork off and pour out two large glasses, leaving one in the middle of the table, her left hand holding it in place, while she started sipping from the other.

"So. I suppose you have a story?" She winked. "Not many people visit Patch unless they're looking for some good carpentry wears."

Still somewhat shocked, the white-haired woman glanced at the glass set out before her, her hand on the edge of the counter clenching a bit. Her lips pursed and the scowl returned. "I don't have any business in this ransack town. I just…"

Her words fell away, as did her gaze. Yang patiently waited for the other woman to continue on, a small but encouraging grin gracing her features. Azure bore into lilac, but the waitress held firm until the businesswoman found herself breaking off, looking down as a light blush came across her nose.

Having her first chance to observe without fear of getting her nose bitten off, Yang's gaze raked over the shorter girl. The fine tailoring of the suit screamed Atlas, the rich neighborhood closer to the city, serving to confuse the blonde even more.

_What's this little sugar cube's story? What's she doing so far into rural country?_

"I…"

"Hmmm?"

The glazed eyes squeezed shut as Weiss balled up her fists.

"ImissedmytrainstopbecauseIendedupdrinkingalittletoomuchginalright?"

Yang blinked once. Then again. Then she bursted into laughter.

There weren't too many people still in the inn this late and most of them knew her so she didn't feel embarrassed for making the commotion, though Blake did stop her tune just long enough to shoot her own amber glare in her direction.

The other girl, however, was absolutely mortified. She brought up her hands to hide her face, not wanting to see the confused stares of strangers she knew she was getting due to the golden-maned buffoon she'd allowed to sit with her.

When her laughter died down into chuckles, Yang wiped a tear that had built upon under her eye with a sigh of content. The irony of bringing out alcohol to fix the girl's problem was not lost on herself. "So, let me get this straight: you managed to miss your stop on the train because you were too drunk to think straight?"

However, despite the teasing tone in her voice and the smirk she'd prepped, as she'd been expecting another withering glower, she felt her own face fall as Weiss brought her hands down to her lap, looking at her empty plate with a clear frown laced with melancholy.

"Uh, sorry. Didn't mean to…" Her words fell away from her lips as she took in the sight before her, the smaller girl looking back out the window.

Guilt moved to take the breathless place that laughter had occupied in her chest a moment ago. True, it  _was_  rather hilarious that this lady's story of frustration was nothing simpler than a little drunken mishap, but she  _had_  offered to help.

_Then let's get on with that part, shall we? Just like any other customer, Yang; you're here to make her smile._

…

… _no, you're here to do more than that._

Taking a silent breath, she brought out her kindest grin, the diplomatic one she saved for emergency situations, and reached out to tap Weiss's hand. The woman almost jolted again, the glare returning only to be chased off a second later.

"Hey, there's no worry. I get it. Life doesn't always go the way you want it to, but… well, I guess I haven't followed my own advice, but you can always find someone to shoulder through it alongside you." Her shoulders slumped, her smirk managing to go even more lopsided. "I know everyone in this tiny town but I'm probably not as close to them as you'd expect. Ever since my little sis Ruby headed off to the city, Blake's really the only one I could go to when I was dealing with heavy stuff, but even then, I tended to hold back a lot." She found her own gaze shift over to the ocean out the window, staring across the bay at the rolling hills on the other shore, covered in thick spruce that just barely concealed the setting sun against the dusking sky.

After a few moments of silence, she looked back across the table to find an unexpected sight. There was no hostility, no annoyance or frustration or haughty expression to be found. Only surprise, clear and palpable as eyelashes fluttered and the blue eyes she'd become rather familiar with gazed back.

She looked… almost touched.

_And maybe even a little bit charmed._

Another small chuckle left her lips as she took a second to move a golden strand out of her face.

"You know, this place is pretty run-of-the-mill, but I bet you if you spend some time looking, you'll find a few hidden gems." She couldn't help the wave of excitement that passed through her, choosing not to acknowledge the heat that came to her cheeks.

For the first time, Yang saw something she never thought she would less than a minute ago.

Weiss was smiling.

And it was just as beautiful as she thought it would be.

A dainty arm drew up and reached out to take the unoccupied glass, fingers lightly ghosting over Yang's own.

"That sounds… that sounds nice."


	10. Handholding (Dec 2018)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth, of which I am not a part of.

**This chapter will be a Highschool!AU, where the issues (domestic, villainous and otherwise) that our heroines face are less awful compared to the canon series.**

**December 12th: Handholding**

* * *

 

"Come on… just for a second?"

"NO. How many times do I have to say it?"

The blonde's shoulders rode up, trying to conceal her grin. Sure, it was a bit annoying that Weiss was being so difficult about something so simple, but it was also fun seeing her girlfriend turning beet red. It was almost as entertaining as teasing her little sister.

Still though, she could meet Weiss's stubbornness without even trying. This was gonna happen, one way or another, and she'd make sure of it.

"Are you scared of people staring or something? Come on, friends hold hands all the times."

"As do couples. And I do NOT want a rumor going around."

"A rumor that you're dating the strongest, most beautiful girl at Beacon? How would that be a bad thing?"

"Because it just is!" Weiss cried out, before ducking her head to avoid the gazes of her fellow students that heard her uproar. The next time she spoke, it was in a low whisper.

' _I already told you, I don't need my family finding out about our relationship. My father and my older sister have always been overbearing when it comes to things like my romantic life so… I don't want to deal with that. And I don't want you to deal with that either.'_

Yang preened. "Weiss, you are so sweet!" Suddenly, her expression turned grave. "I still wanna hold hands though."

Weiss made a small show of seething, an effort hampered by the bit of pink dashing her face as she gave a less than subtle shove into her side, a hit she took without flinching.

"Okay, okay, I got it. No deliberate holding of hands in a romantic fashion." She fake-surrendered, holding her hands up over her head. When all she received was small scoff and no further protest, an evil smirk formed in the corner of her mouth.

Thinking quick, she spotted Mercury just down the hall. The silver-haired soccer prodigy was rummaging through his locker, chatting with Emerald on the side, who seemed to be explaining yet another senior prank that they'd probably pull off by the end of the week.

_Perfect._

"Oh!" Without warning, she grabbed Weiss's hand out of nowhere, not giving her shorter girlfriend a second to respond as she almost dragged her over to the two upperclassmen. "Hey Merc, I've got a favor to ask!"

As the two girls came to a stop, Weiss crashed into her back, her other hand wrapping around Yang's waist in a desperate attempt to stabilize her world and get a bearing on what just happened.

Both seniors directed their attention her way, Mercury pulling an old shirt out of the locker. "Hm?"

The blonde wasted no time, not even trying to hide her intent as she employed her speech voice, usually reserved for taking stock of Ruby's secrets out loud right after being told to keep them private, though she only ever did that when it was just the two of them. She wasn't evil after all! And Ruby's face was always so hilarious.

"You see, my sweetheart here is worried about her physics grades and I've got no clue when it comes to that subject. I heard you did really well last year in the science fair with those spring boots; think you could tutor my girlfriend in your spare time? I'll make it up to you any way I can."

She bit her tongue a bit to keep from smiling too wide as heads turned her way, the words 'sweetheart' and 'girlfriend' seeming to sink in for the chatting groups around the four. Meanwhile, Weiss, who had just about recovered, let out little more than a quiet squeak, looking a few shades away from deep scarlet. Her eyes darted side to side, seeing the surrounding students take note of the school's top boxing champion casually declaring her new relationship with the richest teenager in Vale.

Mercury took a second to glance down at Weiss, the girl staring back in nothing but undignified shock and embarrassment. After a moment, he shrugged.

"…eh. I'll see if I can fit it into my schedule. Congrats, you two. I guess." With that, he shut his locker and threw his jersey around his neck, walking off towards the locker rooms for practice. Emerald followed after, shooting the duo a mischievous smirk over her shoulder.

After a few seconds of pure silence throughout the hallway, everyone around them started murmuring. A few kids seemed confused but there were a couple warm smiles directed towards the two.

"See?" Yang winked, lilac shining playfully as she draped her left arm around Weiss's shoulders, making sure to snatch up a delicate hand with her own and continuing down the hall as though nothing had happened. "Nothing to worry about. Even if your family finds out, I'll make sure to silence their worries with everything I've got."

The look she received back made her wince a little, so she gave Weiss a small, reassuring squeeze.

"I'm serious, don't worry. Trust me, after a week or two, you'll be thanking me."

Though the radiating rage didn't fully subdue, after a minute or so (and a few kind words of congratulations from their classmates), Weiss began to relax by the smallest of margins, even settling into her side a bit despite the concerning look on her still-pink face.

Yang felt prouder than she ever had while having to hide their relationship.

' _See? I told you everything would be alright.'_ She whispered.

Weiss's only response was to glance away.

It was nowhere near a show of approval, but it wasn't a verbal thrashing either and that was a plus in the blonde's book. She could deal with any pressure Weiss's family might put on them since she was willing to go to the moon and back for the girl that was clinging to her arm. The only thing that might have worried her was her parents' own teasing and, well, that wasn't even an issue since her father was a teacher at Signal and she'd catalogued enough of her little sister's secrets to not have to worry about Ruby blabbing to them in the event she managed to find out.

"Hey, sport! I was wondering if I was going to run into you here!"

Yang froze.

 _Speak of the devil…_   _Of all days, he had to visit today, huh?_

"H-hi, dad! I didn't think- I mean, it's so nice to see you!" Yang turned around to wave at Taiyang as he jaunted up to the two, a clipboard in one hand and a suitcase in the other.

Mind suddenly on alarm, she tried to pull her hand back to her side, only to find Weiss's grip suddenly increase tenfold. Looking down, she found a small scowl directed back up at her.

' _Oh no you don't. You've already humiliated me in front of about half the school for this.'_

The glare turned into a little smirk as Yang could only imagine the mortification that passed over her own face before she was whirled around, coming face to face with her father.

The smaller girl stuck out her free hand, a polite smile prepared. "Nice to meet you, Mr. Xiao Long. Yang has told me quite a bit of the fine work you do at Signal Academy."

As soon as Tai's gaze settled on their linked digits, Yang felt like she crawling into the nearest hole and just dying. She didn't dare look her father in the eyes and, truth be told, she didn't even know where this flusterment was coming from, but she knew her dad would never let this slide without notice.

And just as she expected, a proud and teasing grin broke out across his face.

"Ms. Schnee! I've heard great things from what my daughters have told me in their letters, especially Yang." He took her hand softly and shook it, not even hiding the wink he gave his paling child as Weiss let out a quiet giggle.

"DAD! Don't-" Her voice broke much more harshly than she'd been expecting and she bit down on her lip in a desperate attempt to stop everything from getting worse, though it was, without a doubt, beyond the point of salvaging. It felt as though all of the stupid things she'd done as a wild toddler were coming back to give her a massive, karmic bite in the butt via parental-based teenager embarrassment.

A familiar sigh of contempt sent another shock through Yang's body.

"Tai, please stop fooling around. I told you before that we need to fill out these-" Raven stopped when she spotted her daughter standing behind her ex-husband. Her gaze shifted from the blood-drained face to the fingers she had intertwined with those of the young Schnee standing beside her.

Some sort of emotion flashed across her mother's face before she made a small, thoughtful hum.

And that's when the blonde's knees finally gave out.

Her vision was blurring when she felt a small tap on her shoulder, accompanied by a quiet whisper that set her hair on end.

' _One good turn deserves another.'_

The only response she could vocalize was a small whimper.

* * *

 

**I'd make a joke about lewdness but... eh, I had enough fun teasing both of them so forget it.**

 


	11. Hot and Cold (Dec 2018)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth, of which I am not a part of.

**RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth, of which I am not a part of.**

**Yeah… I'm gonna have to bump up the rating for real this time. The event that pushed the threshold is pretty minor but I'd rather play it safe, even if it makes this fic harder to access.**

_**And considering May's content, it's probs long overdue.** _

**December 13** **th** **: Hot and Cold**

* * *

"Does anyone smell… burning?"

" **It wasn't funny the first time, Ruby."**

Yang grit out the words from her strained frown. She'd been the laughing stock for most of the student body that day (in a way that she didn't enjoy, as opposed to the norm) from this semblance malfunction, whatever it was, and the fact that it was putting her little sister in a good mood wasn't helping.

She'd always taken her flaming hair for granted so the fact that it didn't seem like it would be turning off anytime soon was more than somewhat concerning.

The only upside was that Weiss was paying a lot more attention to her than she usually did.

Despite the lack of pain or frustration, flames had been licking at the blonde's head since breakfast and the Atlesian girl had been enthralled ever since. Just like the others, she'd taken to doing little things to poke and prod at her head and it was the only one she'd accepted without malice due the evident and pure interest that was sparked within the mind of a girl as scientifically minded as the Schnee Dust Company's aspiring heiress.

And she was forever grateful that the few flirty lines she'd directed at the white-haired girl that had somehow bypassed her filter were interpreted as symptoms of this 'heated' condition (which, for what it was worth, was a hypothesis that seemed more than feasible at the moment).

"Ruby, I told you not to worry; it's just the convection lapsing through the currents in the air. I'm sure that whatever Yang uses to keep her hair so well-conditioned is contributing to that scent."

The fiery blonde took the compliment with pride. "That's so sweet of you to say, snowflake."

"You're welcome, Yang," came her reply, the tone level and cold as her usual Ice Queen persona. "Now if you could keep still, I'd like to see if this might have a cooling affect."

Something that at least  _felt_  cool flowed down the back of her conflagration and judging by the frustrated hum that accompanied it, it seemed they'd have to go back to square one.

"Do you think it might be dust-based?" Blake spoke up from her spot on the bed behind them, though a glance in the table mirror Yang was sitting in front of (which, she had to admit, brought out her red eyes rather well) showed that her attention was captured by her own story rather than the science experiment taking place in the dorm. Somehow, her partner seemed more relaxed than she usually was, lying on her back and staring at the book she was holding towards the ceiling, almost without a care in the world. Probably because Yang wasn't in a position to mess with the rest of them at the moment, a luxury that pained her to have to miss as she forced herself to sit upright for the sake of Weiss's work. "Like, maybe someone pulled a prank of her and poured some in her shampoo?"

Yang let out an exasperated sigh.  **"There's no way it's dust."**  She growled, voice taking on a gravelling tone once more.  **"If it was, my hair would ACTUALLY be burning and I would be** _ **pissed**_ **, not mildly inconvenienced."**

She could almost hear Weiss nod behind her. "Exactly. Whatever this is, it's coming from her semblance." She paced over to her desk, where scribbled pages and textbooks were laid out in a chaos that their resident Snow Angel would denounce on the average day as unkempt clutter. She picked up a small red handbook and started flipping through. "Let's just hope I can get it to stop before it gets too late; I don't want that flame burning down both your bunks if Yang tried to go to sleep with it still active."

"Yeah, then it would be an issue for more than one person." Blake rolled onto her stomach, dropping her book to smirk in the duo's general direction as Weiss rounded Yang once more and snatched a pen from the desk, jotting something down in the red booklet she was trying to keep out of sight of the rest of her team.

But as the heiress reached around her, the brawler managed to catch a glimpse of the title, causing her to beam.

"Weiss? What does that book say? 'R-B-Y and You: Your Guide to Helping Out Your Best Friends'?"

Ruby and Blake immediately broke out into snickers and chuckles as the white-haired girl slammed the book shut and hugged it to her chest. She made sure to cover the announced title and managed to hold her blush to a mild-pink dusting of her cheeks.

"Well… okay, fine." She gave in, returning to her side of the room with a bit of shame. "As I'm sure you three are well aware, I haven't been the most… sociable of individuals since I joined the team, so I tried to write things out about you three as a way to help myself fix that. I'm just… trying to see if I wrote anything else that might be of use in this situation."

Her wording was rushed and evidently embarrassed so the black and red duo decided to spare her any further harassment.

"Speaking of sociable…" The phrase seemed to etch itself in the back of her burning mane as the burning girl spotted the familiar amber gaze in the mirror, "have you guys noticed how nice Yang's been to Weiss throughout this whole ordeal? Like, even before she started trying to help, Yang was acting so cordial to her and nobody else." The gaze narrowed. "She even yelled at me, her own partner."

The face that Blake was treating her like she wasn't listening kinda ticked the blonde off but she knew her partner wasn't trying to being rude. Her hair didn't seem to, though, as a rather strong flare came up and sent a wave of heat through the small room, the other three blocking their faces as Yang could naught but plant her face into the desk with a groan of annoyance.

"Who knows?" Weiss resumed the conversation, bringing her handbook back down and opened it to jot something else down; either a formula for the heat of the blast or a simple note acknowledging the action, Yang couldn't tell. "Maybe I'm the only one that hasn't distressed her so far."

The smirk was audible in Blake's tone. "Oh, yes. You have the temperament of benevolence that can ground a raging inferno."

Even as the heiress rolled her eyes, aware of the teasing nature of the playful chide, Yang tried to hide the light blush that flared on her cheeks. That… might not have been as far from the truth as it may seem. Sure, she didn't understand this problem any more than the one girl trying to stop it, but it was true that she found herself letting her smaller teammate off the hook more than one might expect for such a stubborn, haughty attitude clashing with her own. And yeah, that might be more than an exception for someone like Weiss when compared to her best friend and her little sis.

Hence why she hoped that such slip-ups would continue to be dismissed in such a manner… at least until she worked up the courage to voice them outside of an incident like this.

Flipping the cover closed again, the heiress tapped her fingers against the soft leather before turning to her leader. "Ruby, do you know if there's something that could make Yang happy? Like, something that she does when she's angry and never fails to calm her down?"

The younger girl made a concentrated hum. "Well, I know that when Dad and I make fun of her too much, she goes off and takes a bubble bath to sulk. Does that count?"

The azure gaze went off to the side, ignoring the sound of an insulted sister off to the side, contemplating the unknown before returning with a bit of inspiration in her expression. "Yeah, that could work." Her smile turned wicked. "Actually, I've got an even better idea."

* * *

"Are you  _sure_  this is gonna work?" The blonde grumbled, sinking further into the dorm's bathtub to better hide her body, steam hissing as her long fiery strands met the frigid water.

"Well, the fact that you said it didn't feel cold when you got in is an encouraging sign." Weiss replied, her attention drawn to her hands as she worked out another vial of ice dust through her glyph, the substance melting into the bathwater before recrystallizing a bit at the other end of the tub.

Even though Weiss's gaze wasn't on her, Yang couldn't help but cover herself, submerging to eye level to fight off the tremendous blush pulsing from her cheeks. When the shorter girl suggested she 'cool off, in the literal term', she'd been hoping they would've utilized a strategy that better protected her modesty.

Even so, there was no longer any question whether the tactic was working or not; the rough blaze had been reduced to a quiet burn in only a manner of minutes and the brawler could feel herself calming as the passive heat began to subside from her limbs and her mind regained control over its flirtatious undertakings. She could almost sense her eyes reverting to their natural lilac.

Despite this, she was taken by surprise when fingers ran their way through her hair, letting out a shocked yelp as Weiss took a bit of her mane and brought it up to check for anything else that could go wrong. With grace, she let the blonde locks drop back to the icy bath.

"Seems to be going fine. The fire's already out." She kneeled over, patting her way across the top of the blonde's head, who could do nothing but try not to burst back into flames, though from embarrassment this time.

Despite being so focused on this self-serving task, Yang managed to notice the soft wetness of lips that pressed against her forehead in the meantime.

And thus, she shot upwards, from the mixture of pure elation and utter confusion, and such an internal conflict became nothing compared to the massive new problem that was the lack of available towels within arm's reach as the girl who'd occupied her thoughts for the past half a year got an absolute eyeful.

At the very least, Weiss didn't try to hide the fact that the view was nice, given the tall sweeping look she gave Yang. Though after her brain reset itself, she did have the kind-enough sense to grab for a cloth, along with giving a silent agreement that they wouldn't mention anything to their two teammates in an acknowledgement of their mutual flusterment.

_Well, at least it's not my HAIR that's on fire anymore…_

* * *

**I like making them blush. That's a recurring theme that you might notice throughout my works. You know, in case it wasn't already obvious enough :P**


	12. Free Day (Dec 2018)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth, of which I am not a part of.

**Free day. That means a bit of a break.**

***collapses***

**December 14th: Free Day**

* * *

 

"Hey there. It's me again. I guess it's been a while, huh?"

The heiress took in her own form, her body well tucked into the white gown that still showed her scars with pride. Her image was laid out before her by the tall mirror, set in the corner of her dark bedroom, shadows drawing up her form against the bright lights in the open doorway. The being that stood before her was one she'd cursed so many times in the past, hated and wished could just disappear from the face of Remnant so she didn't have to keep dragging herself back to ask it just what was wrong with her.

Since then, of course, she'd learned just how important that person was to others, and what that meant for herself.

"How long was it, actually? Seven years? Eight? At least before my 20th birthday, I know that much for certain. Sorry to keep you waiting but I… learned some stuff about myself that you might be surprised to hear."

Blue eyes gazed back, as they always did, and sometimes she wondered how exactly she'd convinced herself that talking to one's reflection could be anything but pure insanity. Still, even if the past was the past, there was a bit of melancholy in the fringes of her vision, as though the pain was ebbing through.

_Better to get this over with sooner than later._

A single deep breath.

"So… Beacon. That was certainly a big step to overcome. Even before all that stuff with Salem, it was something else to have to actually MAKE friends for once. And with so many different people too." A light chuckle. "Never did I think I'd have so much fun, learn so much, feel emotions I never knew existed. Even while you were chasing me throughout everything… what a life to find. And to think it was that easy…"

Warmth started to envelop her.

"I met someone. Someone who saw you better than I could on my own. Better than the teachings of someone who never cared about me. Who would teach me how to love the parts of myself that made me… well, me, rather than scorn them. Someone who could lift me up throughout all the obstacles and whisk me away from danger when the world came crashing down. I never thought I'd come to love someone, at least as much as I loved Winter, but, well, she did have a way of exceeding expectations."

…

"…I'm glad I met her. And I'm sorry I said such awful things to you. To me. I've… there's just…" A soft sigh chased off the last of her words, a little grin forming. "There's so much I needed to know about myself and it's clear that I could have never done it on my own."

The doorknob clicked.

"Oh brothers, Weiss, you're not talking to your reflection again, are you?" Yang approached with deliberate footsteps so that when she wrapped her arms around her lover's waist, it wasn't a surprise. She'd learned years ago that surprises were never appreciated by the former heiress, even if the smaller girl did everything in her power to hide the frustration and play it off. They'd learned each other's ticks, if only through years of practices.

Pulling her in flush with her own form, two layers of ivory silk separated skin that both had long since become rather intimate with, covered in scars they'd mapped out together.

Weiss let out a quiet laugh, stringing her fingers through the curtain of fine gold flowing around her. "It's okay, Yang. I'm just settling an old issue." Weiss leaned up and brushed her lips along the blonde's jawline. "Go get the kids ready. I'll be down in a minute."

"You better be." Reluctance radiating from her form, the taller forced herself to let go, dragging herself to the doorframe. "Call me down if it starts shit-talking you. I will NOT hesitate to punch that thing, trust me."

"I'll be fine, Yang." The little huff accompanying the insistence meant she was dig in and Yang knew better to try and push the immovable object that was Schnee stubbornness. With a little air-kiss, she glided through the doorway, her matching dress bringing back memories of their first dance together at the freshman dance they'd organized together. A sadder time, but one still bursting with nostalgia and early hormones, still brought up by the knowledge that the emotions had been shared and were just as strong back then as they was now, even if she hadn't realized.

The promise her beloved made brought her gaze down to her own knuckles, scarred by who knows how many close-quarter encounters with Grimm and assassins, with so many more from the very act of property destruction that Yang had mentioned. It was never easy to explain to others what it was like to have your own image scorn you, to scorn your own image in return, but as she looked up and saw nothing out of the ordinary, it didn't seem to matter anymore.

She almost felt her head tilt towards the door as she thought.

"Hmm. Yeah, I guess I should go."

…

"I… goodbye."

And as she grabbed the orange scarf laying on the bed, she felt an essence of light-headed cloudiness lift from her mind as the sounds of her son's mocking impersonations of a long-forgotten follower of Salem were accompanied by his little sister's laughter.

Her finger drew over the flaming black heart knit into her scarf.

_We'll keep forging our path ahead._


	13. Memories of Beacon (Dec 2018)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth, of which I am not a part of.

**December 15** **th** **: Memories of Beacon**

* * *

"Hey guys, check this out."

The interest weaved into Blake's voice managed to draw up Weiss's attention from the report in her hand, maneuvering her way from in between her lover's legs to set the parchment down on the coffee table. Of course, the opportunity to be teased wasn't lost on her and she anticipated the little squeeze the muscular arms drew her into, just about managing to toss down the forty-page short story with an audible thunk.

"O~oooh, looky looky." Yang loosened her hold to receive the box from her partner, blowing dust off the top that left the Faunus batting at the air in frustration. Not wasting a second, she lifted the cover off before rummaging through a small mountain of metal figures. "Remnant: The Game. Where'd you manage to find this? We haven't touched this thing since freshman year."

"Probably 'cause you almost threw a tantrum when Neptune managed to beat you in the greatest tactical comeback the world's ever seen!" Ruby goaded, swinging her legs to the ground to achieve a more civilized and practical sitting position. As she reached out to shuffle the deck of cards, the tiny leader got her response in the form of a headlock. She let out a shriek and a fit of giggles as her older sister blew a raspberry into her hair. This, of course, would not go unchecked and soon, they'd descended into an impromptu-wrestling match.

Weiss, still trapped under the larger member of the fake battle, struggled to pull herself out of a tangle of flailing limbs and took a seat on the floor, an act that was met with mild amusement by her Faunus friend, if the flicking of her ears were any indication.

"Glad to see you two have matured so much over the years." The ice queen couldn't help but roll her eyes, counting her troops before Blake pushed another half-dozen figures to her pile. By now, the brawl had ended with Yang as the undisputed winner (okay, undisputed by everyone except Ruby) and the girls took to finishing the setup.

"I call Mistral!"

"Then I'm taking Atlas."

"I wish they'd add Menagerie to this thing."

"They did, actually, in the expansion. We'll get it over the holidays, if you want."

And as the conversation rolled over into false threats and somewhat illegal alliances, talk subtly went back to their year at Beacon. Old friends were brought up, questions of their current lives were pondered or answered, typically by the one who'd remembered to keep up the line of communication via memory or a quick text.

And, soon, the game descended as it always did to dramatic chaos.

* * *

"HOW DID YOU-"

"I'm sorry, dear? Is something wrong?"

"YOU JUST- MY ENTIRE ARMY, I- I CAN'T-"

Yang hung her head in defeat, just before it smacked down against the glass table. A hoarse groan left the blonde's throat. Her plans for world domination, reduced to nothing in an ambush she never saw coming.

"You see, Blake? I  _told_  you we needed to go after Weiss! Ever since she found that abandoned factory, she's been producing mechs nonstop! There's no way we can beat her now if we only go at her one at a time!"

The amber gaze strayed from her full hands for the first time in a while.

"Sorry, Ruby. As much as I'd enjoy having my people being cannon fodder to pave the way for your victory, I'd prefer to stick to my original, diplomatic approach." Blake swapped around a few of her cards before holding a card out to the snow-haired girl, receiving another back in return.

The young leader's only response was to throw her cards face down in exasperation, clutching at her head with her voice at a low grumble that attempted to mimic her unreasonable teammate's tone.

Yang, for her part, had opened her eyes again, lilac clouded with betrayal and frustration. She should've been proud to see her girlfriend do so well as to defeat a veteran like herself, but her broken pride won out. There was no way she would've fallen for something like that in the past; either she'd lost her touch or Weiss managed to seduce her into a trap.

Either way, there was a little hole in her heart. A little Goliath-shaped hole, to be specific.

She hated this game of emotions they were playing.

* * *

"Well, that was fun. We should play more often."

"Easy for you to say, Queeny…"

"Oh, quit whining. You lost fair and square." Receiving no reply, she heaved out a sigh. "Look, I'll go make dinner to make it up to you, if you're gonna be difficult about it."

Yang's face scrunched up a bit before relenting. "…no, you're right. I'm being a hard-ass. Tell you what, we'll make it together; that way, I don't feel like a big old spoil-sport."

"Well, good, because you've done more than enough of that already."

The former heiress let out a small laugh as her beloved bumped their heads together, still pretending to be annoyed.

Off to the side, Blake continued wiping down the tabletop, a quiet hum passing through her lips. "You know, this was… a lot more fun than I remember."

"That's probably because you weren't too busy thinking about Torchwick's plans this time around." Ruby jumped back onto her lounging chair with a paff, stretching her arms up and hanging her legs over the armrest, ignoring the glare that her partner shot her for the act. "But you're right, that WAS great. We should invite more people over next time. Especially if we get that expansion."

Yang finished tying the knot of her apron around her back, moving to the side to let Weiss pass by with the pot of rice as she herself took a knife from the kitchen drawer. "Yeah. You know what? We should have a get-together this weekend; call up everyone and invite them for a game and just hang out."

Setting a fire glyph under the cast iron pot, Weiss moved over to the refrigerator, rifling through the vegetable pantry. "I'd be fine with that. Who should we invite, though?"

Blake picked up her cloth, pinching her nose with her free hand in thought. "Well, let's see… Ren and Nora are out of town. Sun's also doing work in Vacuo until next month. I think Jaune might be around this Saturday. Neptune also said he'd be here for th-"

"NO. Not Neptune. Literally anyone but Neptune." The blonde's voice took on a sudden, clear disdain.

Ruby strained her neck to look back, upside down, at her sister, who was still busy at the cutting board. "What's wrong, Yang? Afraid that he'll kick your butt, just like last time?" When she didn't get a response, her grin only widened. "Oh, maybe it's cause you're worried he'll try and flirt with Weiss, also just like last tim-"

She didn't get to finish as Yang pounced on her, their wrestling match resuming with yet another display of thrashing arms and tickle attacks, grunts and laughter filling the air once more.

Blake passed by the new battle and tried to suppress a chuckle, while Weiss let out a long suffering sigh.

"Looks like I'll be making dinner alone after all…"

* * *

**I wonder if Yang being a sore loser is an accurate portrayal... goodness knows I rarely follow their characters most of the time...**


	14. Atlas (Dec 2018)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth, of which I am not a part of.

' **Canon Divergence' is the special theme of this one. I'm a big fan of the concept, if you couldn't tell.**

… **also Angst. Yeah. Just a dash. A little dash of Yangst.**

**December 16th: Atlas**

* * *

Snow. Yang had seen enough of the damn stuff back on Patch, but here, it was everyone, even in the SUMMER months!

She drew her arms around her as she walked the streets, eyes occasionally drawing towards the tower at the top of Atlas Academy. She had half a mind to go there first and demand to speak with Winter, maybe get some backup and, you know, military approval before invading the mansion of the world's most influential company and rescuing her…  _friend_  (and anyone who said otherwise would get a metal fist to the chin).

It had been a hard decision: Go after Weiss or go after Ruby. She'd weighed the options for a while and eventually decided on the heiress. Sure, her mind was still always on her baby sis, but not only was she surrounded by people whom the blonde trusted to protect her, but she also wasn't exactly sure WHERE she was. She had a plan, but it was a plan she preferred to avoid as long as she could, for now.

And Blake… she didn't even know where to START with Blake. No message, no known family members…

She wasn't even sure her partner WANTED to be found.

Frustration started to boil in her stomach but she pushed it down.  _For another time._

She looked around the street, pondering if stopping for a snack would be a wise use of her time. Spotting a decent-enough looking bakery, the scent hit her nostrils and the boiling in her gut turned to growling hunger in an instant. Seemed that breakfast was a lot longer ago than she remembered. Had she been wondering the streets all day? Talk about unproductive; everyone who she DID stop didn't have the address (which, to be fair, would be pretty specific information; she hadn't really thought that plan through beforehand all that well) and the sun was already setting.

Licking her lips, she started towards the glass shop (called Sally's Sweets or something, she was too distracted to care about the name) and just about managed to bowl over a random street-crawler without thinking.

As they both fell back, she managed to catch the other girl's hand to balance them.

A rather dainty hand, as a matter of fact.

And a strikingly familiar blue gaze caught her eyes.

"Weiss?!"

"Yang?"

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?!"

"…I live here, Yang. You don't, so I'm pretty sure that's MY line."

* * *

"So… you managed to escape your dungeon-"

" _Mansion_ , Yang. If there was a torture chamber, sure, but there isn't."

"That  _you_  know of, if the way you described it says anything."

"If there was one, the whole  _place_  would be a torture chamber, not a dungeon."

Yang let out a chuckle, and was relieved when she heard Weiss do the same.

From what she'd learned, the Ice Queen deserved to have some sort of positive emotion after… well, all THAT.

"Can I get you two wonderful ladies anything else?"

Lilac glared at the blonde storeowner that had been hovering near their table for an annoying amount of time. "No, thanks." She gritted out. "We'll let you know if that changes, though."

Weiss turned her head to shoot a similar scowl to the obsessive baker lady who'd been pampering them since they entered, the older woman baking down with a bit of fear at the sudden, icy glower; the fact that the place was otherwise empty didn't spell much else and she was started to regret her original taste in window-shopping. That or her gut feeling had failed her big time, seeing as the bread tasted worse than the chunky toast they served at Beacon's cafeteria after the morning rush, when everyone else got the good stuff.

At least she could get out of this frozen wasteland of a city as soon as possible, seeing as she'd already accomplished her original goal of finding Weiss, who was more than willing to get the heck outta here.

That just left…

Raven.

All of a sudden, the bread didn't taste half bad.

"So, where did you say you were staying?"

"Huh? Oh, at a motel by the train station. I can book two tickets for tomorrow when we get back." Her vision drifted off to the window. "Or… you know, whenever."

"Whenever?" The questioning in Snow Angel's tone was mixed with disbelieving amusement. "There's no way I'm staying here longer than necessary. It's only been a day and this place makes me sick the longer I stay here."

Yang didn't miss the way that the shop owner froze when she heard the last words (Weiss hadn't bothered lowering her tone, seeing as the two were determined to keep the freaky lady out of their thoughts as much as possible) before disappearing through the kitchen doors. Her lips twitched a little bit upwards.

When she looked back at Weiss, she was met with a leveled stare, concentration filling the shining eyes before her, her smirk turning crooked despite the light-heartedness of her tone.

"Yang, what's wrong? You said you were here to get me, so…"

The brawler felt herself wince. Weiss was quick. It wouldn't be long until she deciphered the general source of where her own fears lay (fears that, if anyone else asked, didn't exist) and would dig in deep until she spilled. That was an uphill battle that she wanted to avoid as much as she could.

…but seeing as there wasn't anything she could come up with on the spot, there wasn't much of a choice.

"Okay. You got me." She held up her hands in surrender. "I was stalling. I just… I don't wanna be anywhere near Mistral."

"Why not?" Weiss's voice lost all previous cheer. Something that hurt even more because cheering up Weiss had been her main objective since she'd learned about the past few months. "Yang, I mean it: What's wrong?"

…

A frown formed as white eyebrows furrowed. "Yang,  _please_ tell me. What could possibly exist in Mistral that's keeping you from wanting to see Ruby? You'd fight a Goliath if it meant protecting your sister."

…

"…my mother."

"Raven?"

"Yeah. Her tribe's there. In fact, she's the only way I know of that could get me to Rubbles, since I don't know if she's made it to Haven or not. She's got a semblance and it can travel to certain people, and one of those certain people is Qrow, whose gotta still be looking over Rube."

"And you're conflicted about talking to her because…"

Silence enveloped the duo, though the sound of the oven in the kitchen starting to roar with fire managed to stab at the taller girl's temper more than she might be willing to admit.

"…I'm not scared."

"I never said you were, Yang."

"You were thinking it."

"I most certainly was not."

A depreciative laugh. "Yeah. Part of me believes that. The same part of me that still thinks I'll see Blake one day."

The (former) heiress's face contorted in shock; some might call the look 'offended'.

"…Yang…"

The girl didn't hear her own name, instead staring down at her fists. She curled them up harder, as her left hand started twitching. A pulse of anger passed through her.

Then, a hand reached out and cupped it, steadying the movement. And another reached out to grab her prosthetic.

"Yang. It'll be alright. We'll go find Ruby and-"

"And what?" The defeat was audible in her voice, even to herself. "Where would we even start?"

"Well, we could try Mengaerie…"

"And how do we even know she'll be THERE, Weiss?! Faunus live all over Remnant, even here!" Her words lost their furious edge, leaving only betrayed bitterness. "She wouldn't even want to see us anyway."

" _Ugh. FAUNUS."_

The sudden interruption had both girls turn to the baker lady, who'd returned with a batch of cupcakes.

"Tell you what, you'd be better off not even bothering with one of those. They're dirty, sneaky mongrels, the whole lot. If you're after a bounty, best to just let them scurry back to their damn terrorist allies and-"

Weiss stood at once, her chair scrapping along the floor with the movement.

She honestly looked like she was about to THROW it at the woman.

Instead, she squeezed Yang's left hand harder. "Sorry, miss, but I'm afraid we've got somewhere else to be at the moment."

Yang remained silent, but nodded along.

Before the lady could even respond, they were running through the door. Behind them, she made out a yell.

' _Make sure to tell all your huntress friends about my shop! Sandy's Snacks and Sweets, in the Blizzard District!'_

Yang felt like gagging, all of a sudden.

Once they were outside, Weiss turned around and started fuming.

"How could you say that about Blake?"

"Because she left us!"

The azure eyes vanished as the snow-haired girl rubbed at her temples. "You're acting even more irrational than that stupid baker."

Yang seethed. "Didn't you hear me? She LEFT! Without saying anything! Even after  _you_  told her to talk to us if she had a problem, instead of running away again! Does that not bother  _you_?"

Weiss looked blurry. She couldn't tell why, but the smaller girl closed the distance again, bringing a hand up to wipe something wet out of her eye.

"…she's going to be alright, Yang. I know it. She still cares about us, but after everything that happened at Beacon, I don't blame her for breaking that promise." She let a melancholy smile ghost over her lips. "She'll be back, I'm sure of it. And she still loves us, even if you don't think so. I want to see her too, but I want her to be safe more than anything. And she will be safe."

This time, Yang broke; she let out a quiet sob, tears streaking down the sides of her cheeks.

Somehow, the former heiress managed to loop her arms around the taller girl's neck and pulled her head down to lay in the crook of her neck. They stood there for a while, the thick clouds turning from orange to black as the sun sunk beneath the horizon, allowing darkness to overtake the streets as shadows stretched out from the streetlamps.

And the duo embracing each other under one of them.

When they pulled apart, Yang wiped another tear from her eye.

"You think so?"

Despite the solemnness in her expression, Weiss's eyes shone with hope that the blonde felt pour into her.

"I know she will. She told me so."

Yang let out a sigh. She felt lighter. And warmer. And it was all thanks to her tiny teammate. She couldn't help but look away, a small blush forming up on her cheeks.

Just then, a snowflake landed on her eyelash, causing her to bat at it in confusion. Then several more started falling. Her frustration returned, but this time, there was no pain coiling in her gut. "By the brothers, does it ever stop snowing on this continent?"

Weiss let out a giggle, smoothing out her hair before throwing a red scarf over her head as they started walking down the street. "Sometimes. But that's just one of the reasons I hate this place." She smirked as they picked up the pace. "Think you could get those tickets tonight, seeing as you hate it here so much?"

Yang rolled her eyes, shooting back a teasing grin. True, she was starting to hate this place the longer she stayed, too.

After all, any place Weiss didn't want to be was a place she didn't want to be either.

* * *

**The dozen or so of my followers that are multi-/poly-shippers might remember this particular bakery and blonde jerk from another one of my stories…**

**(Hint, hint: The Bee's Schnees Week Fic)**

… **okay, so that was a pretty obvious hint XP At least they didn't destroy the place this time (or, wait, actually, maybe it would've been better if they did…)**

**Shameless shilling aside, only two days left, folks!**


	15. Strength (Dec 2018)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth, of which I am not a part of.

**Today, continuing the theme of Yang hating certain parts of the seasons for some inexplicable reason.**

**Also, I keep ending up with my stories near this cliffside, huh?**

**December 17th: Strength**

* * *

' _Leaves. So many freaking leaves.'_

Yang grumbled to herself, pulling the rake through the grass and dragging out brown and red maple leaves, moving in a rhythm she'd developed without noticing. Her non-metal wrist was starting to hurt but it was a job to be done.

It wasn't like Summer was gonna clean her own grave.

The service to her mother-figure was something she felt she still owed her, even if part of her felt like the woman would insist not to worry about it, if she was still alive. She sighed, shoving thoughts of what could have been aside and making room for what did happen, thinking back to the forest swing that Summer had helped her build back at the house almost 50 years ago. That tree had been cut down at some point since but the memories still hung in her mind like it was yesterday.

"Thought I'd find you out here."

Speaking of things that did happen…

Yang turned to wrap her arms around Weiss, her wife of twenty-five years now, letting the wooden rake fall to the ground with a thud. As she drank in the scent of peppermint, she felt fingers string through her hair as Weiss whispered soothing words into her ear, despite having to stand on her toes to just about reach.

"You know, Alice is gonna be heading to Beacon tomorrow, so you should probably go help her pack." The snow angel's lips pursed as she looked up into beautiful lilac, confused by the lack of attention that was being returned. Her firecracker seemed distracted and many such incidents in the past told her Yang was attempting to dodge scrutiny. "Honey, what's wrong?"

Despite her normal stubbornness, the concern in her wife's voice grated her resolve. It only made the pain hurt more, if she was going to be honest, but it still would be preferable to pushing her own problems onto someone who she knew full-well didn't deserve the extra stress. "Just thinking."

"About?"

"It's nothing. I mean it."

The shorter woman leveled a glare, despite the clear height discrepancy. "If you don't tell me what's wrong, I'm going to assume it was my fault."

_Shoot…_

Her bluff was called and she was given the choice of fessing up or making things even worse. As such, she rose up her arms in a sigh of surrender. "Fine. I'm sorry, I just… I was thinking about Summer."

Weiss made a cute, little hum. "But not in the usual way? You always get so excited when you tell the kids about their great-aunt Rose." The evaluation continued, the white-haired girl starting to circle like a cat trapping a mouse, a skill well reminiscent and without a doubt taught to her from their Faunus friend.

The blonde let out a breath, blowing golden strands out of face in a haughty display aimed at disguising her blush. "I meant it when I said it was nothing. I was thinking something that I know you'd say is dumb so there's no point for me to bother caring about it anymore since I know what you're going to say beforehand."

Weiss stopped circling, putting a hand on Yang's shoulder. "True… but you wouldn't believe me if I said just that. I want to know what's going on so that I can explain to you why you're wrong."

The veteran huntress rolled her lilac eyes out of sight, though she was certain that the shorter woman knew that she'd done just that. Weiss had a habit for knowing the unknowable.

_That's what I get for marrying a_ _damn genius…_

"…like that I'll never be as good a mother as she was?"

"So it's an inferiority complex, then. It's got all the signs: the unreason-ability, the lack of solid reasoning, the-"

"Weiss, could you cut it out? It's not an inferiority complex, it's the damn truth! I'm out far more often than I should be, I don't talk to my kids until things boil over and I can't bear the thought of seeing one of my children put her life in danger, even if we've done so many times before."

Her shoulders slumped, looking down at the stone plaque sitting at the edge of the cliff.

"I'll never be the 'super mom' that she was for me."

Without warning, a considerable amount of force pulled at her back. She almost stumbled, hands shooting to grip at the things that were wrapping around her waist; one was about to shoot to whatever was grappling her neck when she realized the 'things' straddling her hips were pale legs.

Was Weiss… trying to get a  _piggyback ride_  from her?

"Come now, sweetheart; I'd say you've done rather well yourself."

"What? Weiss, why are you-"

"I mean it, Yang. You think the average mother can carry their spouse on their back like you can? I'd say that's pretty 'super' of you."

The blonde in question let out a snort. "Okay, pun taken. You planning on getting down anytime soon? Not that you aren't light as a feather but…"

" _Compliment_ taken, but I don't think so. After all, if I'm like this, I can prove to you how strong you are as you walk us back home and then carry all of Alice's bags to the car for her."

"Is that supposed to be some sort of punishment? I mean, the first part sounds easy enough."

"Oh? Has your confidence returned this soon?"

Another snort. "You're insane."

Of course, it wasn't until after they'd started walking that Weiss started whispering seductive flirtations right into her ear, each of which proceeded to turned her legs more and more to jelly.

Somehow, the walk back to the cabin felt miles longer than usual that day.

* * *

**You know, I'm sure that when people think of strong in the context of Freezerburn, they think of Yang.**

**And they're right to do so, even outside of the physical aspect: someone who survived an injury that would be considered maiming, yet got through all the trauma and pain and suffering and inconveniences brought on with it, as well as managed herself to the point that she'd still fight alongside her friends even when her trust had been broken multiple times… someone like that more than deserves to be called strong. Heck, the simple fact is that the fact that she still** _**wants** _ **to get up every day and fight for her friends is more than enough.**

**I just wish more people could see that Weiss can be just as strong as her.**


	16. Fairytales (Dec 2018)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth, of which I am not a part of.

**Snow White and Goldilocks; a crossover most might not have expected.**

**...you know, if you knew nothing about RWBY.**

**December 18th: Fairy Tales**

* * *

_He's got to be coming back soon enough… Klein's never out for this long…_

Weiss couldn't help but sneak a peek out the window every now and then from her reading spot, worry nibbling at the edge of her psyche. Sure, the dwarf's expeditions tended to take several days, but it had been a whole week and there was still no sign of him. She had found distractions in the meantime but the fear that he might not come back stayed ever present.

At least until there was a knock at the door.

Weiss jumped up and bolted to the door, hiking up her dress a little to keep herself from tripping over the fabric. She couldn't help herself, being so relieved to have Klein back.

But when she opened the entrance, she found herself look up rather than down.

A tall girl in a brilliant, bright blue dress (that was also covered in dirt stains) stood in the doorway. A smile appeared on her grateful expression as her beautiful, if unkempt, golden locks swayed in the breeze.

"Oh, thank goodness! I was worried this place might be abandoned! It's nice to meet you, I'm Yang!" The woman bent over and took her hand, shaking it with enthusiasm before walking past her and marveling at the interior of the building.

Weiss stood stock still in shock. Rather than her old friend, a stranger had just invited themselves into her home. She spun around, ready to apprehend the intruder, only for her jaw to drop.

The blonde girl was sitting in her chair, having grabbed a bowl of porridge from her table.

_W-what's wrong with this woman?_

All of a sudden, fury overtook her. This girl has just barged in and was treating Weiss's home like it was hers instead. Balling up her fists, she marched over, her dark blue eyes glaring down at the stranger.

Yang looked up, busy munching on the stew before trailing up her own innocent lilac eyes in confusion. "Uh, is something wrong?"

The white-haired princess's temper flared. "Something wrong?! You just entered my house out of nowhere and started eating my food! Using my stuff! I don't even know who you are!"

The girl looked confused. "Uh, did you not hear me? I introduced myself: Yang." She held out a hand again, expression deflating as it wasn't taken for the renewed greeting it was. "Didn't you let me in?"

"Let you in? I most certainly did not! You just entered my house as soon as I opened the door and caused a ruckus!"

"Ruckus? I just-"

"Do you know how rude and disrespectful it is enter someone's house without asking?"

"But I was only-"

"NO. I don't want to hear it, I've seen enough! Get out of my house!"

Lilac turned to red. Weiss felt herself take an unconscious step back at the other woman stood up, her bowl and book falling to the ground. The difference in their heights was rather evident now. And imposing.

"I'm  _not_  going back out there, not with Junior still looking for me." Steam started to rise from her golden mane, her voice rising. "I've been lost in these woods for too long and I've finally found a place to stay! You can't make me!"

All of a sudden, Weiss felt small and scared. This girl was being unreasonable and yelling at her, despite it being  _her_  home. Did… did she want to  _hurt_  her?

_KLEIN! WHERE ARE YOU?!_

Letting out a sob, the snow-haired girl ran, throwing open the door and dashing out into the forest. She didn't know how far she'd run, but her foot snagged on a root and she fell to the ground, dust scattering everywhere. Her arm hurt, her forehead hurt, her heart ached. This was so confusing, why was this happening?

"Klein…"

After a few minutes laying there, not having the will to get up, she felt something tug at her dress. Pulling back in fear, her heart started pounding when she look up to see the blonde girl once again.

Except this time, she looked far more solemn.

Yang hadn't been expecting her to freak out so much when she saw her, so a blush ran across her nose. "S-sorry. I didn't mean to- I mean, I'm sorry about… breaking into your house and yelling at you. I shouldn't have, I was worried that… no, I'm not going to make an excuse, I did something bad. Here."

Kneeling down, she present a basket of blackberries to Weiss, her face filled with regret and apology. Despite the tension in her limbs and the evident amount of bewilderment at the action, the princess couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. What had brought this about? Only a few minutes ago, this girl threw her out of her own house. What could have changed her attitude so quick?

"I mean it: I'm sorry. Sometimes, when I'm scared, I tend to forget about the people around me. In fact, that's what got me into this mess in the first place, so when I scared you off, I… realized I had to fix it."

In spite of herself, Weiss cracked a small smirk, even as she whipped some dirt and tears from her cheek. "So I'm not the first people whose house he broke into."

Yang winced a bit at the words, the words digging deep. "That's… yeah." She placed down the basket next to the other girl, still laying on the ground. "Anyway… I should probably go now and stop troubling you."

As the blonde shuffled past, rubbing at her arms, Weiss reached out to stop her. "Wait!" But when lilac turned back to her, her posture remaining cowed, the princess felt herself go still.

_Wait, why am I trying to stop her from leaving? She's the one who did something wrong; I knew that as soon as she entered! She even admitted it!_

…

… _but I can't just send her off to get herself hurt…_

"Well… you're right, you did make a mistake." She brought up a haughty front as she stood up, dusting off her gown before reaching down to grab the basket. "So I expect that you'll do something about it."

The eyes that stared back clouded with uncertainty, making her fidget with awkwardness.

"Thus, you… you should make it up to me for your disruption. Now get back here so I can think of a punishment."

The clouds parted to reveal shining gratefulness, her mouth popping open as tears brimmed at the edges of her eyes. "R-really?!"

"Yes! Now, come on. You're in trouble so stop acting all dopey!"

"Oh! Right, o-of course, Miss… uh… Snow Queen?"

"Wha- HEY! How rude, I'm not a queen!"

* * *

Yang spent the rest of the day doing Weiss's chores on her orders, though the white-haired girl was kind enough to help her a bit. To pass the time, they started talking together of their pasts.

As they prepared a blackberry pie for dinner, Weiss spoke proudly of her friend Klein and the work he does collecting gems from the mines. Yang found herself giggling at her descriptions of the man's fancy dances and eccentric personality. In return, as they ate, the blonde discussed her misadventures in the forest, which involved a trio of bears and a strange, old woman who offered her an apple.

"I didn't take it, though. My father always told me not to talk to strangers."

"Maybe he should've taught you not to break into other peoples' houses."

Yang gawked. "That's-" She huffed in frustration, before bursting into giggles as soon as Weiss did.

"I really am sorry about that, though. I felt horrible when you ran off, I was just so worried that-"

"That's enough of that, Miss Xiao Long. What's done is done, and I'd say you've more than made up for it, since the house is spotless, our clothes are clean and you helped make such a delicious dinner." She frowned, looking out that window. "It's getting late, though. We should make the beds now."

As they sorted out the sheets, Weiss let out a little yawn. Yang responded with one of her own, sleep ready to take her. As she climbed into the free bed, though, it was clear something was wrong.

"Why, it's- it's too small!"  
"Well, that's hardly surprising. Klein IS a dwarf, after all. Here, let's switch."

Throwing off the sheets, both girls circled their beds to the other. Despite having to curl in her legs to keep them from hanging off the edge, the fit was rather snug.

"Ah! This bed feels just right!" Yang noted with cheer.

Weiss hid a blush, hugging her legs higher to block part of her face.

After a few minutes of laying in the dark, Yang found her eyes straying over to the bed next to her, taking in the form of the girl with her back to her. She got up in silence, tip-toeing over to the smaller bunk where Weiss was sleeping, the shallow breathing of a tired girl who'd been through a lot that day.

A girl that had taken her in despite her selfishness, who'd given her a chance when she'd screwed up so bad. A kindhearted soul who'd sheltered her from danger when she'd been the most afraid and had been willing to share stories and merriment with her to make a rather awful day feel so much better.

In a sense, she was her savior.

"Thank you for everything, Weiss, my hero." She leaned over and gave her a peck on the cheek. However, not feeling like it was enough of a reward, she leaned further to kiss her on the lips.

It left her heart burning, but she retreated back to the comfortable bed and lay back down, feeling a bit embarrassed by the frosty scent still present in the sheets.

And over in the other bed, the still-awake Weiss couldn't help but shuffle a bit, trying her best to keep her face from bursting into flames.

She was ever so grateful that Klein hadn't returned yet. She'd die of embarrassment if he had seen this.

* * *

**And that's it, folks! Hope you all enjoyed at least a bit! Here's to another year of Freezerburn!**


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